For years, urban governments operated within tight budgets with very little money from the province. Cities found creative ways to maintain infrastructure and to provide for our citizens.
Legislation prevents local governments from running deficits, and we tax no more than we need to in order to deliver the infrastructure, programs, and services our citizens expect.
The municipal operating grant, launched by the provincial government in 2009, helped relieve some of the pressure on municipal pocket books, but we still work hard to innovate and provide the best for our citizens.
As the Mayor of Humboldt, I can attest to the benefits of the partnership urban governments have built with the Government of Saskatchewan. In our city, we have been able to garner strong support for asset management. Working with other municipal partners within our region, we've hosted an international forum on the topic, discussing how to appropriately assess the current state of assets such as our water main or sewer pipelines, how to determine sustainable levels of service, and how we might arrange long-term funding.
This is something that affects all municipalities and we're continuing the dialogue through regular webinars, meetings, and information sharing. We're committed to proactive planning to help us manage the repair, rehabilitation, and replacement of our important municipal assets.
Humboldt is also working hard with regional partners to plan for the growth that's happening within our area. With BHP Billiton's anticipated major industrial development, elected officials, municipal staff, and other key stakeholders have been building bridges so that issues such as housing, social services, and purchasing can be addressed from a more holistic regional perspective.
For instance, following an extremely successful regional planning event in April, we're hosting a second regional event in November to address these kinds of issues, bringing people together to provide innovative leadership for a high-growth area of the province.
Due to our involvement in these major initiatives, the City has been able to direct additional funds into important, ongoing programs such as recreation and leisure services and parks development things that continue to make Humboldt a great place to live, work, and invest.
There is still a lot more to do, as our cities are the key to building a stronger economy. Today, 60 per cent of all Saskatchewan citizens live in a city and nearly 80 per cent of all new residents to the province move to a city. Cities contribute more than $1.2 billion per year to the provincial economy. These staggering figures cannot be ignored.
Fortunately, the key to building sustainable growth in Saskatchewan is clear - investing in urban centres. When the province invests in cities and smaller communities, these governments take that investment and turn it into the foundation for growth. That foundation - things like clean and safe drinking water, better roads, police and fire services, transit, and recreation - works to power real growth by attracting citizens and businesses.
This growth powers our provincial economy and produces a considerable financial return for the provincial government through higher income and sales tax revenue. In this model, everyone does their part, and everyone wins. Investing in cities just makes sense. That's why our city is one of the Partners in Building our Saskatchewan.
