Released on July 20, 2023
Today, Government Relations Minister Don McMorris announced a combined provincial investment of more than $700,000 under the Targeted Sector Support (TSS) Initiative. These funds will support 16 projects across Saskatchewan that focus on partnerships, planning and collaboration.
"Building a strong Saskatchewan requires investment into local government initiatives to help create better communities," McMorris said. “Our government will continue to invest in important projects like these and is proud of the ongoing work and relationships with Saskatchewan’s municipal associations to support progress, innovation and growth in our province.”
The TSS Initiative provides cost-shared grants to support municipalities partnering on projects focused on dispute resolution and relationship building; capacity building, regional co-operation and municipal transition. The $1.5 million annual funding available is allocated from municipal sharing program and covers up to 75 per cent of eligible project costs.
Projects will take place across the province, including:
Regional cooperation:
- RM of Mankota: combined digital safety manual.
Capacity building:
- RM of Edenwold: Support conflict management training for municipal staff through the 'Resolving Conflict Constructively Workshop'.
- Village of Muenster: Regional land use feasibility study including updates to land use planning tools.
Projects are reviewed and approved by the TSS Steering Committee, which consists of representatives from the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA), the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM), the Saskatchewan Association of Northern Communities (New North) and the Ministry of Government Relations.
"SUMA's partnership on this initiative is a point of pride," SUMA President Randy Goulden said. "Projects that encourage cooperation between communities and bolster good governance practices support our organizational vision. We have seen firsthand the benefits provided by collaborative projects made possible through the Targeted Sector Support program, and look forward to seeing the results of this intake, as well."
"SARM continues to be encouraged by this latest TSS intake which saw multiple rural municipalities benefiting from both regional cooperation and capacity building projects for such things as emergency planning and digital safety all the way to asset management mapping and conflict management training, to name a few," SARM president Ray Orb said.
This is the fifth round of projects approved under the TSS Initiative. SUMA administers this funding on behalf of the TSS Steering Committee.
Cities, towns, villages, resort villages, rural municipalities and northern municipalities are encouraged to begin conversations with their neighbouring communities about projects under this program and apply for the sixth TSS intake, which is expected to open this fall.
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For more information, contact:
Kerri Ward-Davis
Ministry of Government Relations
Regina
Phone: 306-787-8544
Email: kerri.warddavis@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-520-8404
Corette Mihalcea
SARM
Phone: 306-761-3931
Email: communications@sarm.ca
Tanisha Khan
SUMA
Phone: 306-525-4396
Email: communications@suma.org
