Reinstatement of In-Office Municipal Inspections
Res #: 16-20A
Number: 16
Year: 2020
Midterm: No
Expired: No
Responses Received: Yes
Departments: Saskatchewan Ministry of Government Relations
WHEREAS municipal administrators and councils are responsible for ensuring financial, reporting and other legislative requirements are met as per The Municipalities Act;
WHEREAS the Ministry of Government Relations administers The Municipalities Act and determines what is acceptable in meeting such requirements;
WHEREAS qualified municipal advisory staff with the Government of Saskatchewan no longer provide in-office inspections where they visit municipal offices to ensure they are meeting legislative requirements and provide direction to municipal administrators and councils if needed;
WHEREAS ensuring municipalities are meeting their legislated responsibilities via The Municipalities Act remains a priority of the Government of Saskatchewan;
BE IT RESOLVED that the Government of Saskatchewan reinstate in-office municipal inspections to ensure legislative requirements are being met and provide advice and direction on required legislative procedures to municipal administrators and councils if required.
Responses From: The Ministry of Government Relations
April 22, 2020
Criteria for certification as a rural municipal administrator includes an office inspection made by qualified municipal administrators to ensure new members have met the legislative requirements.
As the keeper of the legislation, the province should not be involved in the certification process.
Councils wishing to have an office inspection may wish to contract one of the individuals that provide the service during the certification process.
Rural administrator certification standards are set by the Rural Board of Examiners and not by the province.
Background
Prior to 2001, the province partnered with the municipal associations and the municipal administrator associations in the certification of both urban and rural administrators.
Part of the process for certification was an office inspection performed by the ministry’s municipal advisors.
A legislative change to both The Rural Municipal Administrators Act and The Urban Municipal Administrators Act removed the province’s involvement in the certification of municipal administrators thus making the profession self- regulating and arms length from the ministry as the keeper of the legislation.
The Rural Board of Examiners consists of one person appointed by the Rural Municipal Administrators’ Association (RMAA), one person appointed by SARM and one or more persons appointed jointly.
Lori Carr, CD – Minister of Government Relations
