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Amendments To Better Serve Municipalities And Their Citizens

Released on November 19, 2019

Today, Government Relations Minister Lori Carr introduced The Miscellaneous Municipal Statutes Amendment Act, 2019 that outlines legislative adjustments to ensure the current needs of municipalities and their citizens are met.

Key amendments to The Cities Act, The Municipalities Act, and The Northern Municipalities Act, 2010 will better protect municipal employees, strengthen ministerial authority, enhance local governance and accountability, and improve efficiency for local administrations.

“Updating this legislation will establish a more modern framework for our many great municipalities and allow local leaders to better serve their citizens,” Carr said.  “We appreciate our municipal partners’ participation and input in developing and refining these amendments, which will help position communities across this great province for our next decade of growth.”

The proposed amendments will do such things as:

  • Better protect municipal employees from reprisals, such as reprimand or dismissal, for reporting wrongdoing to a person or authority that has the power to investigate.
  • Add administrative efficiencies for municipalities, including more flexibility regarding publishing and sending notices electronically.
  • Require all municipalities to prepare and post public accounts, like cities currently do, at a future date to be set in regulations to allow time for consultation with stakeholders.
  • Clarify property assessment and appeal procedures to better serve appellants.
  • Give municipalities more flexibility to determine their own mediation and dispute resolution procedures for bylaw enforcement.
  • Allow councils to be able to adopt leave of absence policies for parental and other kinds of leave, instead of passing resolutions for each individual.
  • Add the ability for the Government Relations Minister to act on a report of the Information and Privacy Commissioner and the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety, similar to the existing ability for that minister to act on an investigation by the Provincial Ombudsman.
  • Allow cities to be included in the formation of a municipal district.
  • Allow municipalities to establish programs for custom work, energy efficiency, and environmental improvements to properties by adding those costs to property taxes, if the property owner agrees.
If passed, the majority of the amendments would come into force in spring 2020, while those related to property tax and assessment would take effect in early 2021.

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For more information, contact:

Dan Palmer
Government Relations
Regina
Phone: 306-787-7151
Email: dan.palmer@gov.sk.ca

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