The Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) was pleased with investments in health announced in the 2022-23 provincial budget, but wanted more funding to address access to health, mental health and addictions services in the province.
“Access to healthcare, from emergency medical transport to mental health and addictions support, is pivotal to ensuring the quality of lives of the residents in Saskatchewan’s hometowns,” said Mayor Mike Strachan of Torquay, SUMA’s Vice-President of Villages, Resort Villages, and Northern Municipalities.
“While we are very appreciative of increased investments in the health of our residents, more support is needed.”
SUMA was also pleased to see a $10.8 million investment in EMS, in 27 communities, as well as a focus on recruiting additional healthcare professionals for Saskatchewan’s hometowns. The addition of 150 addictions treatment spaces over the next three years, initially announced in the 2021 Speech from the Throne, was also appreciated.
“Mental health and addictions issues were at critical levels in our communities, and the COVID-19 pandemic has further compounded that,” Strachan said.
“We welcome the investments announced by the province, including additional treatment beds, but we need to ensure there is continued investment in mental health and addictions early-intervention and care. We would also like to see a long-term strategy to address mental health and addictions in the province, with firm timelines for implementation.”
SUMA also welcomed the continued investment in Saskatchewan’s hometowns through Municipal Revenue Sharing, but was disappointed with the reduction in funding. Municipal Revenue Sharing for the 2022-23 year is set to be approximately $262 million, a reduction from the 2021-22 budget.
“While our municipalities appreciate the funding provided through Municipal Revenue Sharing, it is disappointing that the level of funding is decreasing as the province anticipates increased revenues,” Strachan said.
“We anticipated the decrease but had asked for the province to freeze funding levels as municipalities continue to deal with the costs of COVID-19, inflation, and Provincial Sales Tax on our infrastructure and services.”
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
