For Immediate Release
SARM Reacts to Provincial Election
The Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) wishes to thank everyone who ran in the provincial election yesterday and to congratulate the successful candidates.
“We are very fortunate to live in a democratic society, where we are free to elect anyone we believe will protect our interests,” said SARM President Ray Orb. “There are sixty-one new and returning MLA’s that SARM will be contacting over the coming weeks to reiterate some of the most important issues that rural municipalities (RMs) face today”.
On the top of this list is the retention of the existing funding model for municipal revenue sharing in the 2016 Provincial Budget. Currently one percentage point of the Provincial Sales Tax is allocated for municipal revenue sharing. “Municipal revenue sharing has been a consistent funding source that we rely upon to provide some much needed financial relief as we maintain the infrastructure and services required to support resource development across the province,” said Orb.
Additionally, SARM’s membership has asked for continued funding for the Provincial Rat Eradication Program, the establishment of an Emergency Response Fund to allow local fire departments to provide essential services to ratepayers and other groups in need without risk of non-payment, and additional funding for municipal infrastructure through the Municipal Roads for the Economy Program. “These are only a few of our requests of the Province but they showcase the wide array of issues our RMs face on a day-to-day basis,” said President Orb.
“We look forward to working with those new and returning MLA’s on issues of importance to rural municipal governments,” concluded President Orb.
More information on resolutions passed by SARM members, and provincial and federal budget submissions can be found on the Association’s website at www.sarm.ca
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For more information please contact:
Jay Meyer
Executive Director
306-761-3721
“SARM, the Voice of Rural Saskatchewan”
