2023 November

Municipalities are required to annually report their compliance with eligibility requirements to receive their Municipal Revenue Sharing (MRS) grant by completing an online Declaration of Eligibility (declaration). The unique link and password for the online declaration was emailed to each municipality on November 15, 2023.

If you do not receive the email on November 15, please check your SPAM/JUNK folder. If the email is not in your SPAM/JUNK folder, please email grcompliance@gov.sk.ca requesting the email be re-sent.

To avoid your municipality's MRS grant for the 2024-25 year being withheld, ensure your municipality submits its declaration which includes a resolution from council, and that your municipality meets all eligibility requirements.

You will want to ensure that the required resolution of council, confirming the responses in the declaration, is included on the November, December or January council meeting agenda. A sample resolution can be found in the Declaration of Eligibility Guide.

The eligibility requirements are the following legislated responsibilities:

• Submission of the Annual Audited Financial Statement;
• Submission of the Public Reporting on Municipal Waterworks, if applicable;
• In good standing with Education Property Tax;
• Council Procedure Bylaw has been adopted by council;
• Employee Code of Conduct has been adopted by council; and
• Public Disclosure Statements have been filed and annually updated by council members.

Please see this infographic for a snapshot view of the declaration process and the eligibility requirements.

The deadline for submission of the declaration is January 31, 2024. Please ensure the declaration is submitted by the deadline, even if the municipality does not meet all eligibility requirements.

The Ministry of Government Relations has a new resource to assist municipalities with understanding planning-related fees under section 51 of The Planning and Development Act, 2007 (Act).

Section 51 of the Act authorizes municipalities to prescribe a schedule of fees to recoup some of the operational costs associated with processing development applications. It is important for fees to be transparent and established upfront, to allow prospective applicants the opportunity to estimate their costs prior to application.

The new Planning Fee Guide provides guidance on charging fees related to development permits and zoning bylaw amendments, including how to calculate and apply those fees.

This new guide, in conjunction with the Sample Planning Fee Rationale Document, can assist municipalities in prescribing appropriate fees in accordance with the Act. If you have any questions about this resource or planning fees in general, please contact the Community Planning branch at 306-787-2725 or 306-933-6937 or communityplanning@gov.sk.ca.

Radon is a colourless, odourless, and tasteless radioactive gas released when uranium decays. Homes built on soil containing uranium can be flooded with radon gas when there are cracks and gaps in foundation walls and basement floor slabs. Radon that enters homes poses a health risk, as long-term exposure to radon can increase the risk of lung cancer. The risk is particularly significant in areas with high radon concentrations in the soil, such as some parts of Saskatchewan. Therefore, effective radon mitigation strategies are essential to protect the health and well-being of Saskatchewan residents.

Regular testing for radon is recommended, as testing allows residents to determine if high radon levels are present within their homes. If levels are above the limits recommended by Health Canada, radon mitigation systems that meet or exceed the requirements found in the National Building Code of Canada can be installed. Such systems typically involve installing either an active or passive ventilation system below basement floor slabs and sealing radon gas entry points in slabs and foundation walls.

Radon mitigation efforts in Saskatchewan empower homeowners with the knowledge and tools to address this invisible threat. By prioritizing radon mitigation, homeowners can significantly reduce the risk of lung cancer and create safer, healthier homes for their families. Get your home tested today!

For more information, download this Radon Advisory.

In the June 2023 Municipalities Today issue, municipalities and their auditors were reminded to prepare for new accounting standards introduced by the Public Sector Accounting Board that impacted reporting for the year ending December 31, 2023.

The Ministry of Government Relations has worked with experts in the field to update the Financial Statements Template, Municipal Accounting Manual (MAM), and Municipal Audit Guidelines (MAG). This material also reflects a series of recommendations made by a working group led by Chartered Professional Accountants Saskatchewan (CPA SK). In addition, an information sheet and a guide on the new accounting standards have been developed to better assist municipalities and their auditors. All documents are available at saskatchewan.ca.

The 2023 Financial Statements Template was emailed to municipalities and their auditors in early November, along with the information sheet and the guide regarding the accounting standards effective in 2023. Additionally, updated versions of the MAM and MAG were included in the same email. Municipalities are encouraged to review the education materials sent to them, which are also available for download from the Government of Saskatchewan's website.

Municipalities are legislatively required to submit a copy of the audited financial statements, auditor’s report, and management letter to financialstatements@gov.sk.ca on or before July 1, 2024, except for cities, whose submission due date is on or before September 1, 2024.

Municipalities must also submit a management letter for any controlled corporation.

For questions regarding the completion or submission of municipal financial statements, please email financialstatements@gov.sk.ca.

Did you know that between July 2022 and July 2023 Saskatchewan experienced the second fastest export growth in the nation, with manufacturing export growth of 26.9 per cent? In July 2023 alone, Saskatchewan’s manufacturing exports were valued at $956.9 million. Revenues like these contribute to the current and future growth of this great province, be it in new economic opportunities for our citizens, in their continued access to quality healthcare and education, by advancing infrastructure and beyond.

These exports are possible because of the hardworking people in communities across this province and are supported by our established trade agreements. By entering these agreements, the Government of Saskatchewan has committed to procurement obligations that open markets for Saskatchewan businesses. In turn, government entities will report on goods, services and construction procurements undertaken that exceed the stated thresholds.

Municipalities are reminded to submit their procurement reports online by Friday, December 1 through the online Trade Agreement Procurement Reporting Survey distributed to your inboxes on October 12. Should you have any questions, please contact the Ministry of Trade and Export Development at tradeprocurementreporting@gov.sk.ca.

The Ministry of Government Relations has amended the organized hamlet provisions in The Municipalities Regulations (section 22.1-38). These amendments are intended to clarify who is responsible and accountable for what items as rural municipalities and organized hamlets work together.

Key amendments to the organized hamlet provisions within The Municipalities Regulations are:

• New organized hamlet board policies:
  • Notice required to be given by a hamlet board regarding annual general meeting, board meetings, minutes and policies;
  • Meeting requirements such as rules of order, scheduling of meetings and appearances by residents;
  • Election of board members including manner of voting and nominations;
  • Filling of vacancies of board members;
  • Disqualification of board members;
  • Duties of board secretary; and
  • Remuneration of board members.
• New rural municipality policies:
  • Scheduling the first meeting of a newly established organized hamlet;
  • Budget submissions; and
  • Format and timing of joint meetings of the rural municipality and the organized hamlet board.
• Other amendments:
  • Defining “active hamlet board” as a board that holds an annual general meeting each year, submits meeting minutes to the rural municipality, holds regular board meetings and submits an annual budget to the rural municipality;
  • Clarifying who is eligible to vote in hamlet board elections and who can attend meetings;
  • Requiring notice of meetings be given to residents at least seven days prior and minutes to be available to residents at least 10 days after the meeting;
  • Requiring the organized hamlet board to provide residents with the following at the annual general meeting:
    • Financial statements;
    • The organized hamlet’s annual budget;
    • Minutes of both the previous annual general meeting and all board meetings; and
    • Establishing a minimum frequency and required number of board meetings; and
  • Requiring board members to fill out a public disclosure form at the beginning of their term and update as required, declare conflicts of interests, and excuse themselves from discussions on matters in which they have a conflicting interest.

The goal of these changes is to ensure good working relationships between organized hamlets and rural municipalities by clarifying the roles and responsibilities in governance and decision-making. Requiring a more board-like structure for organized hamlets will add purpose and value to the role of hamlet boards. Hamlet boards will be required to operate according to their own policies, which will result in increased transparency and accountability to residents. Overall, organized hamlet boards will operate at a higher capacity as valued partners in responding to the unique needs of organized hamlet residents. New policies by the rural municipalities will also create clearer processes and expectations and ensure regular communication between organized hamlets and the rural municipalities.

Rural municipalities and organized hamlets must adopt the required policies by the 2024 annual general meetings. Council and administration are encouraged to review the updated regulations in their entirety.

For additional information, please contact Advisory Services at 306-787-2680 or muninfo@gov.sk.ca.

The Government of Saskatchewan introduced road maintenance agreements (RMAs) to allow municipalities to cover the incremental cost that occurs above regular maintenance costs due to the increased pressures of heavy or bulk hauls. In 2021, the Ministry of Government Relations amended The Municipalities Regulations to allow for the setting of regional rates based on the Ministry of Highways' Area Transportation Planning Committees (APTC). These rates are to be reviewed every two years and updated based on municipal transportation services expenditures in each APTC region, as well as truck traffic, road damage and payload data from the Ministry of Highways. The first set of rates were implemented for 2022 and 2023.

In accordance with Section 12.1 of The Municipalities Regulations, the Ministry of Government Relations has updated the regional RMA rates for the years 2024 and 2025. Please see the table below for the updated rates. The new rates are effective for 2024 and 2025.

^{Rates are per tonne per kilometre.}

You can access the 2024-2025 Road Maintenance Agreement Regional Rates Map. Visit Road and Streets Construction and Maintenance for more information on RMAs, including a template agreement.

If you have questions, please call 306-787-2653 or email property.tax@gov.sk.ca.

Municipalities can pass a bylaw to charge gravel crushers and extractors a gravel extraction licence fee. Formulas found in Section 8.1 of The Municipalities Regulations set out the maximum fee a municipality may establish. The formula was implemented in 2008 and is used to update the maximum fee every two years.

Effective January 1, 2024, the maximum gravel extraction rates for 2024 and 2025 will be:

$0.194 per cubic metre
$0.148 per cubic yard
$0.104 per tonne
$0.097 per ton

The maximum fee is increased based on the annual percentage changes for the “all-items” consumer price index (CPI) for Saskatchewan for the two years before the first year the new rates are to come into effect. The rate increase for 2024 and 2025 represents a CPI inflation rate of 3.3 per cent in 2021 and 7.1 per cent in 2022.

The rates are also found on the Road and Streets Construction and Maintenance page.

Further Information

If you have questions or comments about these fee rates, please call 306-787-2680 to speak to a municipal advisor.

Is your municipality doing something innovative to better the community? Are you collaborating with neighbouring municipalities to achieve regional goals?

If you answered yes to either of these questions, you are encouraged to submit a nomination for the 17th Annual Saskatchewan Municipal Awards, sponsored by Affinity Credit Union.

To submit a nomination or obtain more information, visit municipalawards.ca. Nominations must be submitted by 4 p.m. on November 21, 2023.

The Targeted Sector Support (TSS) Initiative is a cost-shared grant program that uses a portion of Municipal Revenue Sharing ($1.5 million per fiscal year) to support municipalities to kick-start funding to undertake new projects that focus on good governance, partnerships, planning and collaboration. The program is managed by the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) on behalf of the TSS Steering Committee that consists of SUMA, the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities, New North and the Government of Saskatchewan.

Applications are being accepted now; the intake will close on November 30, 2023.

To learn more, please download this TSS fact sheet or apply online.