Premier Scott Moe speaks with reporters during a scrum at the 2020 SUMA convention in Regina, Sask. on Feb. 3, 2020. (980 CJME)

By Evan Radford/CKOM News Staff

Moe uses SUMA keynote speech to preview provincial budget

Feb 4, 2020 | 10:31 AM

Taking to the podium as the keynote speaker for the annual Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) convention on Monday, Premier Scott Moe announced that municipal revenue sharing is set to go up this year, when the provincial budget is released in March.

The amount is to go up to $278 million for the next fiscal year, starting on April 1.

Moe said that’s an increase of $27 million (11 per cent). Big-picture-wise, that increase represents a 119 per cent increase from the 2007-08 fiscal year.

“Municipal revenue sharing has provided municipalities a stable and predictable source of provincial revenue, and I am proud to continue our commitment to supporting key local priorities that help lay the foundation for a growing Saskatchewan,” he said in a media release.

Moe didn’t give specific numbers, but he used the speech to say the upcoming budget will have targeted investments infrastructure, with provincial and municipal earmarks.

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“You will see one of the largest investments in provincial infrastructure in the history of Saskatchewan … you will see in next month’s provincial budget the largest investment in municipal infrastructure in Saskatchewan’s history,” Moe said in his speech.

“I won’t say increasing every year, but most certainly increasing over time. We’re going to continue increasing it as we can afford it,” he said.

The premier also promised continued financial support for mental health and addictions treatment in the budget.

“We do need to continue to invest in prevention and supports in mental health and ultimately in addictions. We need to continue to increase our investment,” he said.

Moe didn’t give specific investment amounts, but he didn’t dispute that a three per cent increase is plausible.

He cautioned that “we need to be very careful where we place the investments we have, so we focus on outcomes. We focus on outcomes of the individuals, because in the same way we say ‘growth is not just a statistic, it’s about the people,’ it is even more true when it comes to treating mental health and addiction issues.”

SUMA continues Tuesday and Wednesday at Regina’s Queensbury Convention Centre.

Tuesday is scheduled to have several education sessions and breakout sessions discussing municipal management and policies, like waste management, town and city councils, community safety, addictions support and municipal partnerships.

Wednesday’s schedule features the popular bear pit session, during which municipal leaders can have at provincial ministers on any topic they choose.

Ministers attending will be representing the following ministries: Government relations, environment, highways and infrastructure, justice, corrections and policing, health and rural and remote health.