MOOSE JAW — City council has revoted on appointing Coun. Jamey Logan as Moose Jaw’s representative with the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) because the association deemed the initial vote insufficient.
During its Feb. 24 regular meeting, council voted unanimously to name Logan as the City of Moose Jaw’s SUMA Cities Caucus rep for a term from Feb. 24, 2025, to Nov. 30, 2028, or until a successor is appointed.
This motion was in response to another motion that council approved in mid-December when it appointed Logan to SUMA from Jan. 1, 2025, to Nov. 30, 2028.
“Unfortunately, it has come to our attention that the council motion adopted in December was not sufficient to carry through to the Cities Caucus group,” the council report said.
“Given this oversight, we need to address this matter promptly to ensure our representation in the caucus. All new appointments by the cities must be submitted by March 15, 2025, to SUMA.”
This appointment to the SUMA Cities Caucus is essential in ensuring Moose Jaw’s representation in the group, which plays a crucial role in sector-specific advocacy and decision-making, the report said. The appointed councillor is responsible for representing the city’s interests, participating in discussions and contributing to the development of policies that affect urban municipalities.
SUMA’s governance structure changed recently, as previously, it operated with a board of directors that included regional directors who represented different geographical areas, the document continued. With this structure, the association addressed advocacy issues through sub-committees primarily composed of board members.
The new governance model has shifted to a caucus-based system, which aims to enhance sector-specific advocacy by moving the main responsibility for advocacy to sectoral caucuses that are comprised of elected reps from each sector, the report said.
The board now focuses on general governance, including budget, audit, convention planning and province-wide advocacy, while the caucuses handle most of the sector-specific advocacy efforts.
The new structure is designed to streamline advocacy efforts and ensure that the needs and priorities of the various sectors are effectively addressed, while urban municipalities expect to have a strong voice in the decision-making process by appointing members to the Cities Caucus, the document noted.
“By nominating a councillor to the SUMA Cities Caucus, we can ensure that our city’s interests are well-represented and that we actively contribute to the collective efforts of urban municipalities across Saskatchewan,” the report added.
Chairperson appointments
During the meeting, council also voted unanimously to Coun. Chris Warren as deputy mayor, Coun. Heather Eby as chairwoman of the executive committee and Coun. Dawn Luhning as chairwoman of the personnel committee for terms starting March 1 and ending April 30, or until successors are appointed.
The next regular council meeting is Monday, March 10.
