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Swift Current Mayor Jerrod Schafer and other city officials formed the panel for the hearing

A public hearing was held Friday at the Credit Union iplex Auditorium to hear concerns about a proposed annexation of land west of Swift Current.

The City wants to annex part of the commercial strip along Highway 1 but the Rural Municipality objected to the proposal, prompting the meeting.

Mayor Jerrod Schafer says it was a good chance for the city to state their case and address any concerns that RM ratepayers had, adding that it's unfortunate that the issue comes down to compensation.

"The two sides don't agree on it, which is fine," Schafer said. "There's a process in place to deal with that, and it's just unfortunate that again we went through another month where hard feelings happen, there's negativity out there, and in the end, the process will provide a result for us."

While compensation is the main concern, Schafer also heard concerns about a possible effect on tax bills for RM ratepayers. "I understand that residents that live in the RM are concerned that here's the city coming and it's going to mean a tax hit to them, and it's educating them that it isn't. It's not going to mean a huge tax increase for them," Schafer added. "It's people realizing that intent of this is growth. The intent of the water agreement was good and the intent of annexation is to grow this region, continue to spur development within the city, but also within the RM."

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The panel heard questions and comments from a number of concerned city residents and RM ratepayers, and current and former RM officials, including Reeve Bob Neufeld (pictured right).

"We feel that the RM, not only the residents or the business owners of the annexed part, the whole RM, invested in the first place," Neufeld said. "It was many years before it was fully developed, so therefore, this is part of the process. We represent every ratepayer in the RM."

Neufeld added while both sides are at a disagreement with the amount of compensation for the annexed land, they do agree that the city needs to grow. "We do need to grow, and we'd like to see them grow, the same as, you know, we're growing and we want to see them grow too."

The Saskatchewan Municipal Board will now rule on compensation for the annexed land with a decision expected sometime in the summer.

Mayor Jerrod Schafer talked with reporters following the hearing:



Colin Powers talked with RM Reeve Bob Neufeld: