Municipal Transparency and Governance Reform

Summary#

• This bill updates three main local government laws in Saskatchewan. It aims to make municipal rules clearer, more modern, and easier to follow.
• It focuses on transparency (more documents online), fair treatment and safety (harassment and dangerous animal rules), and simpler property assessment and tax processes.

Key changes

• Requires cities, towns, villages, and northern municipalities to post financial statements, public accounts, council and committee minutes, and bylaws online (most by Sept 1, 2027; bylaws by Sept 1, 2028).
• Lets councils appoint a non‑voting Indigenous advisor; requires training for council members after each general election (starting 2028).
• Tightens ethics: a harassment finding under The Saskatchewan Employment Act is also a breach of a council code of ethics; harassment of municipal workers is an offence.
• Streamlines property assessment appeals: talk to the assessor before appealing, allows a non‑refundable processing fee, more flexible scheduling and consolidation, and corrected errors must be fixed.
• Updates “dangerous animal” rules across all municipalities; councils can declare an animal dangerous (with due process), but only a judge can order destruction.
• Allows rural municipalities to set higher or lower tax rates in hamlets (with rules) instead of using “special” or “additional” service areas, which are being phased out.
• Expands tools to collect unpaid oil and gas taxes and adds mining operations to annual assessment reporting.
• Lets any urban municipality that meets criteria set in regulation apply to become a city.
• Extends the “cooling‑off” period after a denied boundary change from 1 year to 3 years.

What it means for you#

• Everyone

  • Easier access to information. You will be able to find financial statements, public accounts, meeting minutes, and bylaws on your municipality’s website for free.
  • Online public notices must be on a publicly accessible website.

• Residents and homeowners

  • Animal safety rules are clearer. Dangerous animal orders can include muzzling, secure enclosures, and warning signs; orders follow the animal if it moves.
  • If a bylaw violation on Crown or municipal land is linked to your adjacent property, the city or municipality can order you to fix it and add costs to your tax bill if unpaid.

• Property owners and taxpayers

  • Assessment appeals change: you must first discuss or try to discuss your assessment with the assessor before filing an appeal.
  • Municipalities may charge a non‑refundable processing fee for appeals (on top of regular appeal fees).
  • Appeal timelines and document deadlines will be set in regulation, and similar appeals can be combined to save time.
  • Errors found on the assessment roll must be corrected.

• Pet owners

  • Councils can declare an animal dangerous (with notice and a right to appeal). Only a judge can order an animal to be destroyed.
  • Peace officers can seize or destroy an animal that is attacking, part of a threatening pack, or showing rabies symptoms.

• Drivers and vehicle owners

  • Vehicle owner liability now applies to more bylaw offences than parking (for example, illegal dumping). Owners may be responsible unless they prove they were not operating or controlling the vehicle.

• Rural residents and hamlet residents

  • Rural municipalities can set a different uniform tax rate in hamlets (higher or lower) to match service levels. Extra revenue from a higher rate must be used for hamlet services.
  • Existing “special” or “additional” service areas can continue until they expire or are dissolved; no new ones will be created.

• Council members and municipal staff

  • New duty to follow principles of procedural fairness when making decisions.
  • Mandatory orientation training after each general election (starting 2028).
  • You cannot take part in meetings until you sign the oath of office; administrators must report who has not signed.
  • Stronger protections against reprisals for employees who bring wrongdoing to the Ombudsman or the Information and Privacy Commissioner.

• Businesses

  • Oil and gas companies face expanded tools for tax collection (more parties can be asked for information; collection costs can be added to arrears).
  • Mining operations must provide annual information for assessment, similar to railways and oil/gas.
  • Public utility boards can own land and other assets; bylaws must plan for how such boards would be wound up.

• Communities considering changes

  • Any urban municipality that meets criteria set by regulation can apply to become a city.
  • If the Saskatchewan Municipal Board denies a boundary change, you must wait three years before a similar application.

• Timing

  • Most transparency rules start Sept 1, 2027 (bylaws online by Sept 1, 2028).
  • Many assessment and taxation changes take effect Jan 1, 2027.
  • Council training applies after the 2028 general election.
  • Other changes take effect on Royal Assent or when regulations are made.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

• Improves transparency and trust by putting key documents and minutes online, free of charge and on clear timelines.
• Cuts red tape and speeds up appeals by setting deadlines in regulations, consolidating similar cases, and fixing assessment errors without delay.
• Strengthens safety and fairness with clear dangerous‑animal rules and by requiring procedural fairness in council decisions.
• Supports respectful workplaces by linking harassment findings to ethics breaches and making harassment of municipal workers an offence.
• Gives rural municipalities a simpler, more flexible tool (hamlet tax rates) to match services to local needs.
• Helps municipalities collect unpaid taxes from oil and gas operations, protecting local revenues and services.
• Encourages better governance through mandatory council training and the option to appoint Indigenous advisors.

Opponents' View#

• New posting and record‑keeping duties, training, and policy changes may increase administrative work and costs for small municipalities.
• Longer three‑year wait after a denied boundary change could delay needed local restructuring.
• Non‑refundable appeal processing fees and the requirement to talk to the assessor first may discourage valid assessment appeals.
• Broadening vehicle owner liability to more bylaw offences could be seen as unfair to owners who were not driving.
• Stronger dangerous‑animal powers may raise due‑process or animal‑welfare concerns if not applied carefully, even with required policies.
• Allowing different tax rates in hamlets may create fairness concerns between hamlet and non‑hamlet residents.
• Expanded tax collection powers for oil and gas and new mining reporting add compliance burdens and could strain industry‑municipal relations.
• More matters moved to regulation can create uncertainty until rules are set, and enhanced ministerial powers may worry some about local autonomy.