Rural Saskatchewan politicians will huddle behind closed doors April 20 to plot strategy in their battle to stop a provincial “big is better” proposal.
Just five weeks after their last convention, Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities delegates are being assembled to discuss the issue dominating rural Saskatchewan right now — municipal restructuring.
“We feel we have to do it” said SARM president Sinclair Harrison.
“We’re getting pressure from our members to do more.”
They may be getting desperate, as the threat looms of legislation creating fewer municipalities.
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RMs such as St. Andrews already are distributing accumulated reserve funds to taxpayers rather than see the money used to benefit residents in a new, larger area, Harrison said.
Rural politicians have opposed mergers since political scientist Joe Garcea made the task force recommendations public.
At a recent public meeting in Assiniboia, a paper effigy of Garcea went up in flames outside the Legion Hall, symbolizing what Don Kirby thinks.
The Coronach-area farmer, who earlier had asked Garcea to leave the hall, told him and two other task force members that people are terrified to the point of civil disobedience.
“What part of ‘no’ don’t you understand?” he asked.
He then approached the table where Garcea sat and invited him to leave.
Garcea said he couldn’t leave until his work was done.
“What came to my mind is, you can remove me from this room but you can’t remove the issue from the agenda,” Garcea said later.
History of opposition
But rural Saskatchewan people have successfully fought off the issue in the past.
They have never bought the argument that larger municipalities would have greater authority and economic power.
“It makes no sense to try and fool the public into thinking they will become economic powerhouses,” the RM of Stonehenge told the task force. “We think it is shameful to try. What you are suggesting is a complete annihilation of the fabric that makes up rural Saskatchewan.”
Bill Giblett of the RM of Bengough said the current system is essential for good governance. Larger municipalities would diminish access to elected officials, he said.
As the meeting ended, one woman congratulated task force members for holding their composure in the face of rudeness and snide remarks. The retired schoolteacher was booed.
Garcea has also been insulted and threatened. He said it’s not easy to take the verbal shots but he understands where they are coming from.
He said the strong opposition to forced amalgamation doesn’t mean some change won’t occur. The question is whether it will be directed by the province or by the municipalities themselves.
Harrison said that will be discussed at the emergency convention.
He said SARM must know what is acceptable to municipalities or what proposals they might have before municipal affairs minister Clay Serby makes a recommendation to cabinet at the end of April.
For the special report on rural restructuring see pages 104-105.
