Moose Jaw North MLA Report

Strong and growing communities are the foundation of a strong and growing province. That's why Saskatchewan's 2024-25 Provincial Budget invests in our province's strong and growing communities – so that Saskatchewan can continue to grow and remain the best place to live, work and raise a family.

For cities, towns, villages and municipalities across Saskatchewan, the budget includes a record $42.4 million increase in municipal revenue sharing. This is a 14.2 per cent increase from last year and a total of $340.2 million in unconditional support for communities in the province.

Municipal revenue sharing was introduced in our government's first budget in 2008 to support municipalities across the province. This funding is predictable and unconditional because locally elected leaders know the needs of their communities best. You can find this information here:

Another $350.1 million – an increase of $2 million – will be used for infrastructure programs in the province, including funding for the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, the Canada Community-Building Fund and the New Building Canada Fund.

The budget also includes a $900,000 increase for the Saskatchewan Assessment Management Agency, bringing total funding to $12.3 million, to maintain its capacity for property inspections.

Investments in local and regional transport infrastructure are a high priority in this year's budget. A $29.5 million investment will support municipalities and industry partners to invest in the province's transportation system, supporting economic growth and safety on rural and municipal roads.

Funds from this year's budget will also support improvements at municipal airports and help short-haul railways maintain and modernize their networks. Transportation infrastructure is important to keep our families safe while traveling, connect communities and get our exports to market, helping to further grow Saskatchewan's communities.

Community safety remains a priority for our government and will see significant investment in this year's budget. The budget of the Ministry of Corrections, Police and Public Safety is $719.4 million. Together they will work to maintain and promote public safety in Saskatchewan communities.

More than $228 million will fund RCMP operations in the province, an increase of $4.3 million, while the RCMP's First Nations Policing Program will receive $21.6 million. The budget also includes $23.1 million for 160 municipal police positions, including 17 combined transportation services positions funded by SGI and other public safety initiatives.

The budget includes $7 million for the Saskatchewan Marshals Service to continue implementation and hiring. The marshals are expected to begin operations in 2026. The department will also receive $200,000 to improve and expand the Saskatchewan Police College.

An investment of more than $250 million will be made available to the Ministry of Justice and the Attorney General to support judicial services and community well-being in the province, including $31.7 million for programs and services to reduce interpersonal violence .

The Saskatchewan Firearms Office will receive $12.4 million, including $3.0 million to establish a ballistics laboratory in Saskatoon.

The budget continues investments in First Nations and Métis communities across Saskatchewan. More than $255 million in targeted funding will be provided to First Nations and Métis people and organizations, an increase of $6.1 million from last year.

A $91.2 million investment from gaming payments will support Indigenous-led social and economic initiatives.

To support the well-being of Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit people, the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls+ Community Response Fund invests $800,000 for grassroots organizations to develop and implement projects that prevent violence and promote safety contribute.

To continually improve consultations related to the consultation requirement, the budget includes an increase of $930,000 to support First Nations and Métis communities to participate in the consultation process.

Our government is committed to investing in community growth to contribute to a high quality of life in communities across Saskatchewan. As we continue this work, I look forward to your feedback. You can reach my constituency office at 306-692-8884 or [email protected].

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.