WHEREAS members of municipal council are responsible for managing the governance and financial affairs of the municipality, including implementation of municipal tax mill rates and enforcement of municipal tax payments;

 

WHEREAS members of municipal council must be held to a high standard as community leaders when running for office, including provision of payment of annual property taxes;

 

WHEREAS The Tax Enforcement Act of the Province of Saskatchewan defines arrears of taxes as meaning “taxes unpaid and outstanding after the expiry of the year in which they were imposed, and included penalties for default in payment”;

 

WHEREAS The Local Government Election Act, 2015 of the Province of Saskatchewan does not currently restrict a person from running for municipal office if they are in tax arrears;

 

WHEREAS the Province of Alberta has in place legislation within section 22 of their Local Authorities Election Act making a person ineligible for nomination for municipal office if on nomination day that person is indebted to the municipality for tax arrears or other defaulted debts;

 

BE IT RESOLVED that SARM lobby the Province of Saskatchewan to modify The Local Government Election Act, 2015 to make a person ineligible for nomination for municipal office if on nomination day that person is indebted to the municipality of which the person is an elector for tax arrears exceeding $50.00.