The Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) says the provincial government is not listening to municipalities as it goes ahead with budget cuts.

"We were asked in to a meeting with four cabinet ministers and, to come up with some ideas and ways the municipal sector could find this $36 million in cuts in the payments in lieu, and two days after that the provincial government just went ahead and decided how they were going to do it." said a SUMA Vice-President, Michael Strachan.

"We thought we were partners in building Saskatchewan, but this isn’t how partners act." Strachan added.

Strachan said cities and towns are reeling from the impact of $36 million stripped from the grants in lieu program, even after meeting with municipal representatives. "We don't think that's meaningful consultation" Strachan told Discover Weyburn. "And, going forward, now that we're into planning for the new budget, we want to be at that table to be able to represent municipalities."

Strachan, who is also mayor of Torquay, listed many other areas in which communities are suffering.

In a prepared news released, he noted that in addition to stripping $36 million of payments in lieu from 109 hometowns, the provincial budget shuttered the Saskatchewan Transportation Company (STC), suspended the Community Rink Affordability Grant, further reduced funding to urban parks, suspended the Main Street Saskatchewan Program, further cut funding to the Urban Highway Connector Program which also funds the Town Urban Highway Program and slashed funding to libraries.

The President of SUMA, Gordon Barnhardt, also added his concerns about what he called the lack of respectful, government-to-government discussions leading up to the budget. Barnhardt said SUMA will continue to seek meaningful consultation they deserve as duly elected officials.