Resolution No. 10-05M

WHEREAS, rural municipalities are required by legislation to complete a budget as soon as possible within the current fiscal year; and

WHEREAS, rural municipalities are required to pay requisition amounts by various levels of government, (e.g. the RCMP requisition);

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that these mandatory requisition amounts be made known to municipalities by February 1 of each fiscal year.

Response from the Honourable Len Taylor, Minister of Government Relations:

Government Relations (GR) understands that, for budgeting purposes, it would be helpful if all requisition amounts payable by municipalities were known as early as possible in the fiscal year. However, the requisition amounts are submitted to municipalities by various organizations and agencies, and are therefore not under the direction or control of GR or any one government department. Municipalities would presumably be most concerned with requisitions that they must pay by law; for example, those from the RCMP (Justice and/or federal legislation), Saskatchewan Assessment Management Agency and the Regional Library (Learning). However, some municipalities may also receive other sorts of requisitions or "annual funding requests" from organizations like Regional Economic Development Authorities or local Conservation Associations. With that in mind, as the umbrella organization representing all rural municipalities, it would seem to be most practical for the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities to initiate dialogue with the organizations and agencies to see if a common date could be established.

The wording of the resolution is a bit confusing, insofar as it suggests that mandatory requisition amounts be submitted to municipalities by February 1 of each fiscal year. GR suspects the intent of the resolution is to have the mandatory requisition amounts for the next fiscal year be submitted to municipalities by February 1. This would allow municipalities time to take the requisition amounts into account as the budget is developed.