WHEREAS the Guide for Municipal Boundary Alterations (Annexation), November 2015 states that the Official Community Plan is the recognized statutory document guiding and identifying the growth management strategy for a municipality. Community growth should be orderly and beneficial not only to municipalities but also to the region and its residents.

WHEREAS the statement implies that a mutual growth strategy is established and respected through the boundary alteration (annexation) process and the RM’s needs and the needs of its ratepayers should not be disregarded by the will of another municipality and/or the province of Saskatchewan where Community Plans are ignored, and where the province takes on a role in “picking winners and losers”.

WHEREAS when statutory planning documents are ignored, this leaves Rural Municipalities (RMs) at a significant disadvantage when boundary issues including annexations, are disputed.

BE IT RESOLVED that SARM lobby the provincial government for a review of the Guide for Municipal Boundary Alterations (Annexation), November 2015 and related legislation to clearly define the requirements for a municipal boundary alteration (Annexation), to avoid unwarranted and baseless applications where the applicant municipality cannot meet a minimum threshold of the demonstrated need of land for growth purposes as stated in a mutually accepted statutory planning document and recognized growth strategy.