Sk. municipalities, economic engine or anchor?

[LEP]

I just broke into a cold sweat, as I am agreeing with
oneoff on most of what he says here.

Besides being a fiefdom, I do think the main the
main reason they haven't amalgamated is the have
don't want to join the have nots.

While they don't have to be the size of school
boards or health districts, six townships by six
townships should be more efficient and yet small
enough to be responsive.

[oneoff]

Nothing wrong with paying people very good remuneration; when their expertise and time pays good dividends to their "employer". Those competent people are the ones who we should entrust with conducting our public business.
The fact is that there is rapidly growing support for the necessary changes to adapt to differences between 2013 and the early 1900's. Too bad SARM and our local cronies haven't shown leadership and can't see todays real world. Its a case of exceeding one's of incompetence.

Those elected representatives are not assets to their communities and it will take forcing them out one way or another to get any meaningful change.

And the comment about sharing the wealth of luckier RM with poorer neighbors is well taken. And in just about every instance it would be safe to say that those millions of dollars came from the pure luck of industrial assessment and oil and resource based taxation.
Yet reeves and councillors openly talk about "their money"
With farms now approaching township size; we could simply let every landowner become a councillor. That solution would only leave little details like the fact that 85% plus of tan RM's revenues were coming from industrial assessment which would remain unrepresented; and the serious problem of a growing number of rural residents being put at the mercy of a new set of dictators.

LEAD, FOLLOW or GET OUT OF THE WAY

[carebear300]

Bigger, economics of scale, all great slogans of the times. Health regions, pig barns and lots of the mega farms have yet to prove it to me by their performance. In fact as a rule the opposite has been true up until now. We have a neighbouring RM that has expanded it has turned into a real cluster ****. I know it has to come eventually but only when people have their shit together. Nowadays screw ups cost way too much money.

[carebear300]

I forgot my rant about poor hard done by Regina. They already have the legislature, a university, a technical school, two large hospitals and all the supporting staff for the operation of these facilities. Mostly funded by the rest of saskatchewan. So I don't think they have any right to bitch at some of the smaller neighbouring constituencies trying to get some small part of this large pie that they have been feasting upon and benefiting from for years. What's fair is fair for all not just the priviledged few!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[oneoff]

"We have a neighbouring RM that has expanded it has turned into a real cluster ****."

Herinafter simply referred to as a "CF"

Please elaborate; and give comparisons to the situations in those RM's before expansion. Otherwise I have no idea if it just a case of finally revealing past problems; and maybe even expecting too much in cleaning the mess up immediately.

Similarly it is politically saafe to just talk about hypothetical "CF's" or potential "CF's" that might arise from making a change that even the writer admits are somewhat inevitable.
But what about existing real time "CF's"
Can anyone tolerate an RM council "appointing" and paying "security" to attend a vote held under "The Local Government Elections ACT". Well it has happened and not the council, the press, the police; the auditors; the municipal advisors; the Provincial government that oversees the RM"s nor the public dared to express their outrage. Does anyone even see the point that stares us all in the face?
. What about creating 10 additional housing units at Borderline Housing; and blowing the whole budget on water filled holes and unfinished prefabs rotting on a fairgrounds. Then the fiasco continued through months and months of failed funding initiatives and a plethoria of bylaws and repealed bylaws; levy increases, money injections; mediation proceedings and legal court battles that will continue until the hundreds of thousands are forgotten or written off. Just try to get your hands on the mediation reports in the hands of councils; and you could count the words in the rare public update report on almost two hands. Must be very little of the taxpayers business eh! Couldn't all get on the same page at same time. And lets not examine the planning and accountability.
Or what about RM's being in charge of building a provincial highway; when they certainly can't keep municicipal grid roads even passable. Maybe the "No Trucks" allowed signs are the way to handle road reconstruction.
Or how do you conduct a Community plan worth a ballpark "$60,000". It was determined to be a high priority and essential for planning growth; but the town and RM who are in the same building apparently don't/didn't know for some decades who owned more than a half mile of highway/airport frontage and acres of sought after property. Now there is an attempt at annexation so 25 year leases at a very few dollars/ year will tie up development to probably hanger storage uses.
Or how about fumbling the ball on housing and feeding and servicing the needs of literally hundreds of pipeline workers since last April in SE Sask. Towns such as Redvers out manouvered us so badly that its an embarrassment to even talk about it. But we don't have enough water infrastructure for existing residents, so I guess the reasoning is that it was all for the best.
And the Northgate land acquisition by a foreign company. I'm sure I'm the only person who has read the contract that was signed for this closely held secret land grab. You know we are committed to closing every road, street and lane that the RM has jurisdiction over; and further that the acres included in Her Majesties properties were included in the 60 acres; (more or less)that the RM Council enabled under the cloak of complete and utter secrecy. And the $500 per lot must now be lowered because the taxpayers got stuck with paying up back taxes to the school division when this agreement was concluded. And the contract agreement clearly states that road and street properties are freebee's thown in. They even got the land once set aside for school grounds, parks and recreation. And I again repeat that adjacent privately held lots fetched more than 100 times for the same acreage. Many doubt that the council has any idea about the real intentions of the purchasers; who have the full chunk ( of property from the US border to the DesLacs to the north and Number 9 Highway on the west. Thats how you can ask for roads to be closed because you have "all" the property that requires the previously surveyed roads, streets and lanes for access. I still wonder if Her Majesty has to sign off; and why this land shouldn't still be put up for public bid. There shouldn't be any argument that anyone would have access; if you are bidding on the roads that provide the access.
Now that was a coup for obtaining strategic property of one of three north-south rail connections in Western Canada.
Or a hundred thousand dollar rural municipal water well that I am sure the literally couple of persons who withdrew water probably wished they had dumped their load before mixing in their holding tank and previous water supply.
And the one I like best is year after year seeing an RM council decline to support the local high school yearbook. You know that a quater page ad costs around $45.00; but you should have personally seen the councillors; one after another bitterly making comments like "the amount that school cost us; we should have been given the whole yearbooks advertising"; "we don't have anything to advertise" and on around the table till the request was unanimously declined. Now that's a true CF"
How many "CF" examples (and theses are just a few in the past year or so from one area) till we admit that the cesspool should be drained and something else tried is run on a new attitude giving consideration to the residents the sytem professes to serve.

[oneoff]

You know, of all the "outrageous" situations I have brought before a seemingly uncaring public; there is only one that I have been challenged on the facts.

That concerns whether a contracted employee of an RM/Town agreement for a community development officers (whatever that position entails) ; should be ever referred to as having anything to do with econonomic development.

However others have shared that confusion. When the local radio station interviewed the contracted employee; those economic development officer words were used. And every time there is an discussion about planning and goals; those pesky dollars and the word economics always creeps in.

But on second thought that is never in public meetings. Because, we don't even have them in local RM's. Afterall, it is argued there is no public demand for ratepayer gatherings; and of course someone could use that microphone to tear a strip off an arguably deserving council.

That also describes censorship; and deliberately destroying any forum to demand accountability.

And that is quite possibly why a whole council deliberated for long enough to ban all electronic devices from council and committee meetings. Do not be fooled by the "unsober" second thoughts at the following meeting where this policy was challenged.
Thogh recinded; it was made clear that "just because something is legal does not mean that you should be allowed to do it"

FUNNY ME; I ALWAYS THOUGHT (AND STILL DO THINK) THAT THE EXACT OPPOSITE SHOULD BE THE FOUNDATION OF ANY POLICY DECISION)
Remember that the days are numbered for every attempt at ruling a civilization.
Why should we care what replaces the present rulers. It will be quite possibly be an overall an improvement.
And the loudest wailing will come from those forced out.

[oneoff]

Also need to mention the private dining at the public trough every month. It preceeds the council meeting. Behind locked doors; council members regular attendees, taxpayer supported, not shown as a part of council remuneration, invitation only, suspected/obviously where real council decisions are made. Catered meal; tonights the night ....again.

Shop is so closed that there is no incentive for anyone to even consider sitting in gallery.
Democracy at it's best????Or Dark Ages in Sask????

[oneoff]

Does it strike anyone as being odd that the serious issues brought forward have not been refuted.
I'm convinced that the officials could care less what the facts are.....

Council's stance is exactly as the reeve said less than a couple of years ago...... "He could do anything that he wanted to do"