The annual SUMA convention, which began this past Sunday, will be coming to a close on February 6th. The convention provides an opportunity for municipal leaders to share and discuss the many issues facing their communities.

Biggar Mayor Ray Sadler says you can learn a lot just from the informal coffee talks.

“One thing I find when you run into a question at coffee, or at the trade show is, we’re all looking for the same ways of the world that need to be looked at. What some communities do,” Mr. Sadler says. “I didn’t know that how you can treat water, or clear roads and that’s why we go to these things.”

The SUMA organization provides municipal governments a way to work and negotiate with the provincial government as a single unified voice. The convention allows members to submit and vote on resolutions that directs how they would like that voice to be used.

This year SUMA delegates voted on implementing an ATV license and registration system, how funds should be used from the sale of cannabis, and the per capita costs of policing in the province.

“These things take time,” his worship Ray Sadler says, “what SUMA does is take these resolutions back to the government, and it’s not done over night. It could take years to see ATV registration.”

The final event on the convention agenda are open discussion sessions with provincial cabinet ministers. Rosetown-Elrose MLA and Minister of Health the Honourable Jim Reiter will be in attendance for these sessions.

“We all serve the same Tax payer,” says Mr. Reiter. “We’re all trying to do what’s best for the citizens of Saskatchewan, and I think people appreciate when they see the different levels of government cooperating instead of fighting.”