SARM delegates overwhelmingly approve resolution rejecting ‘any policies that unduly target naturally occurring CO2’
REGINA — It’s unclear exactly what rural municipal delegates meant when they overwhelmingly passed a resolution about carbon dioxide last week at their annual convention. The resolution, submitted by the Rural Municipality of Tullymet on behalf of 30 RMs, called on the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities to “ensure that any policies that unduly target […] Read moreTag Archives SARM — page 2
Sask. RMs want financial help to hire officers
Rural municipalities that want to work together to hire a community safety officer say the provincial government should make that process easier. Last spring delegates to the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities passed a resolution asking for financial assistance for RMs to hire CSOs. Last week at the midterm convention, delegates heard that the response […] Read more
Unpaid oil, gas taxes mount, leaving Sask. RMs in lurch
Saskatchewan rural municipalities say oil and gas companies are increasingly defaulting on property taxes, leaving RMs short money and unable to provide the required level of service. Several resolutions passed at last week’s mid-term convention of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities addressed the issue of tax arrears by oil and gas companies. Forty-six of […] Read more
Community safety officers in short supply in Sask.
Saskatchewan’s community safety officer program is an option for municipalities looking for bylaw enforcement and low-risk policing needs, but only about 30 officers have been hired since the program’s rollout five years ago. Daryl Chernook, program manager for the province’s corrections and policing ministry, said CSOs can be another presence in rural areas to help […] Read more
Sask. considers reviewing trespass laws
The Saskatchewan government says it’s willing to look at current trespass laws that put the onus on landowners to post their land to keep others out. “Maybe it should be the other way around,” said Justice Minister Don Morgan after a bear pit session during the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities annual convention. “I think […] Read more
RCMP tells SARM delegates not to take on criminals
Rural property crime has dropped by 10 percent this year, according to Saskatchewan RCMP, but that doesn’t give Herb Axten much comfort. The reeve of the Rural Municipality of Surprise Valley lives 110 kilometres away from the nearest RCMP detachment in Weyburn, Sask. He put assistant RCMP commissioner Curtis Zablocki on the spot at last […] Read more
Sask. farmers fight to protect property
More cops, more cameras or more common sense? What’s the best way to fight crime in rural Saskatchewan? Questions related to rural crime generated plenty of discussion during the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities’ annual convention in Saskatoon last week, and some controversy as well. SARM is one of the best barometers of public sentiment […] Read more
Sask. farmers eye next week’s provincial budget
It remains to be seen how Saskatchewan farmers and rural municipalities will be affected by government efforts to balance the provincial budget. But delegates who attended the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities’ annual convention in Saskatoon this week were bracing themselves for the worst. In a March 15 interview, SARM president Ray Orb said he […] Read more
Sask. premier asks RMs to watch their costs
Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall delivered a mostly positive economic message March 14 to delegates attending the 112th annual convention of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities in Saskatoon. But he also stressed the need for RMs to cut costs, scrutinize expenditures and look for ways to deliver services more efficiently. “We are hoping that all […] Read more
SARM in brief
Grain bag disposal, wild boar elimination and the health of first responders were all issues brought to the forefront at last week’s Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities annual convention. Eric Gray from the RM of Indian Head raised the grain bag issue, saying too few farmers practise diligence and proper disposal. “It seems to me, […] Read more
