Rural municipal officials looking for a sign that more money for roads and highways is on the way in Thursday's provincial budget came away disappointed from the annual convention of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM), held last week in Regina.
The issue of transportation in the rural areas, covering both highways and rail lines, was the biggest point of contention for RM officials taking in the convention, said Audrey Trombley, administrator for the RM of Griffin. Serving as the president of the Rural Administrators Association of Saskatchewan, she also sits as an ex officio member of the SARM board of directors.
She said Premier Roy Romanow and his cabinet ministers weren't very forthcoming about any further funding for transportation, but added she is hoping to hear something positive in the provincial budget, which will come down on Thursday afternoon.
The RM officials insisted they need $56 million to maintain roads and highways in their current condition, but the funding level is currently only at $21 million, said Trombley; the SARM members passed an official resolution asking the province to increase the funding to at least the $56 million level.
"Our proposal went to great lengths to point out where some of the money could come from, such as VLT revenues, gas tax, from non-delegated surpluses from Crown corporations. But Romanow said while those were good arguments, there are other priorities which are more important," said Trombley.
"We don't have enough money to maintain our current structure. We have an increased strain on municipal roads and highways, which comes from rail line abandonment There was no commitment from the premier for more funding," she added.
One issue brought up with federal Resources Minister Ralph Goodale was the issue of the continuing rate of rail line abandonments while Justice Estey is still carrying out his inquiry into grain transportation.
"Our members said rail line abandonments should be halted until they have Estey's report. Goodale didn't disagree, he said it was a good idea to shut down the process, but he didn't actually say he would take any measures to stop the process," said Trombley.
SARM president Sinclair Harrison announced dates for four meetings on the transportation issue to be held around the province, with one slated for Weyburn for Thursday, April 9 at the Weyburn Inn from 1 to 4 p.m.
The meeting will be open to all RM officials in the area, plus SUMA officials will be invited as well, to help add to the submission that SARM is making to Justice Estey on the issue. SARM will have sent in their submission already to the Estey commission, but SARM officials are also meeting with Justice Estey on April 22, at which time they will present the views gathered from the four meetings.
Ron Lutz, who was the voting delegate for the RM of Weyburn, said he came away disappointed in this SARM convention, as there didn't seem to be very many burning issues or great controversies.
He said when Goodale addressed the convention, it was pointed out that the roads and highways weren't the responsibility of the federal government, but solely of the provinces.
"He was challenged quite sharply on that one. But when all was said and done by the government officials, there was more said than done," said Lutz.
He brought up a question on a perennial concern of his, namely the level of education tax on rural landowners, but the query was brushed off by the education minister.
"They said they're working on getting it down to where the ratepayers will only be paying 40 per cent, but they didn't know when that would be. We'll keep pecking away at it," said Lutz.
On the issue of using fuel tax revenues for funding for roads, Goodale said the province receives much more in transfer payments than is gathered in fuel taxes, and pointed out the federal government has put $130 million into roads since 1993, "which is basically nothing in this day and age," said Lutz.
He added that he was talking with Finance Minister Eric Cline at one point about the SARM request for more money for roads, and the minister asked him if he thought the RMs should really get that extra money; Lutz told him yes.
Reeve Phil Babiarz of the RM of Weyburn was also disappointed in what he saw and heard at the SARM convention, which he only partially attended.
"With their next budget coming up, I don't think municipalities will see very much money from the provincial government," said Babiarz.
Trombley said another road-related issue that arose was the elimination of all funding for farm access roads, which RMs now have to pay for out of their general fund for all roads and highways.
The Department of Transportation and Highways are looking into reclassifying roads for funding purposes, so that municipalities will be paid on the basis of the usage of roads within their area. Trombley said the classifications haven't been set out yet, but expects they will be soon so funding can be attached.
"If the government increases funding this year, we'll need to know which roads they apply to. If they don't increase funding, then it will be left to the municipalities to decide which roads that would apply to," she said.
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