Congratulations! You've recently been elected to serve as mayor and/or councillor in your urban municipality.
SUMA has put together a list of resources to help you get off on the right foot on your journey as an elected official. But these tools are useful whether this is your first term or your tenth! We encourage you to bookmark this page and revisit it often.
Elected Officials Handbook
What's included?
- A guide to what SUMA is and how we can help you and your municipality
- Detailed explanations of your role as a councillor
- Detailed explanations of the role of CAO
- Tips and tricks for an effective council
- Public relations for elected officials
Download the handbook here.
Looking to get more involved with SUMA?
Nominate yourself or a colleague to represent your sector on one of SUMA's caucuses by filling out this form. The new governance structure will come into effect after the election of the President at Convention 2025.
*Nominees may only run within their own region and as a representative of their own municipality type (town or village/resort village).
Capacity Building Opportunities offered by SUMA
SUMA provides a variety of networking and educational opportunities throughout the year. These opportunities allow members to connect with us, each other, and provincial decision makers. Our events, member meetings, and educational opportunities are a great way to build relationships and take part in professional development that will benefit your municipality.
Visit the Event page on our website for the most up to date information on upcoming opportunities.
Webinars
SUMA webinars support municipal council and administration in continued learning right from your home or office. Thanks to sponsorship from SUMAssure, SUMA webinars are free to all elected officials and staff in SUMA member municipalities, our webinars cover the topics that impact Saskatchewan’s cities, towns, villages, resort villages, and northern municipalities. Find out about upcoming webinars in Municipal Update, direct email invitations, and in the events section on suma.org. If you are unable to attend live you still have access to recordings of previous webinars on the SUMA member portal. Contact your administrator to receive your municipalities login information.
Start off on the right foot with our latest webinar for newly elected and re-elected municipal officials. You can find a recording of the session Council Table 101: Exercise governance basics and strong council meeting etiquette on the SUMA member portal.
MuniCast Podcast Episodes
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In the office, at home, or on the go, MuniCast brings you conversations on important municipal topics. If you haven’t listened before, start with season 1! Episodes in seasons 1 and 2 focus on best practices in governance and leadership. If you’d like to learn more about how SUMA supports your municipality season 6 has you covered! Meet the SUMA staff, and discover how their work impacts you. Other seasons include conversations on municipalities roles in mental health and addictions, reconciliation, and educational opportunities for council and administration. All episodes of MuniCast from seasons 1 through 7 are available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Amazon music, and other podcasting platforms. |
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Virtual SUMA Summit
We kick off the beginning of each year with the Virtual SUMA Summit (formerly SUMA Sector Meetings) where all members are invited to discuss priorities for their sector, hear from SUMA, and participate in learning opportunities. We are excited to welcome Doug Griffiths, Community Builder, as the Keynote speaker for this event. The Virtual SUMA Summit is where towns and villages/resort villages will also participate in caucus elections.
Caucus representation is replacing the former regional director positions on SUMA's Board of Directors. Moving to a caucus-based model moves the primary responsibility for advocacy to sectoral caucuses, elected by the sectoral representatives in each region. These caucuses are where most of the sector-specific advocacy will occur. If you are looking to expand your reach beyond your local council, or get more involved in SUMA, running for the town or village caucus representative for your region is a great opportunity to do just that!
Caucus representation differs slightly from caucus to caucus, with each city appointing one member to the cities caucus, the northern caucus appointing members based on geographical quadrants, and the towns and villages/resort villages caucuses electing one member from each of the existing SUMA geographical regions to each caucus.
We encourage you to join and run for a caucus position or cast your vote for your caucus representative. Learn more about SUMA's caucus elections here.
The Virtual SUMA Summit will take place on February 13 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Visit the Virtual SUMA Summit page for more information and to register.
Convention and Tradeshow
The Annual SUMA Convention and Tradeshow takes place each spring and alternates between Regina and Saskatoon. This four-day event brings together over 1000 delegates from across the province to learn, network, and connect with provincial government. Convention is held in-person with some sessions available virtually.
Convention 2025 will be taking place in Saskatoon from April 13-16. Registration opens on January 13.Your administrator will receive the registration email for your municipality.
Regional Road Show
In June we head out on the Regional Road Show (formerly SUMA Regional Meetings) visiting each of the eight regions to connect with members in their home communities. These meetings are a great opportunity to network with other elected officials and staff from your region and hear updates from SUMA. These events are available in person or online and registration will open following Convention 2025.
Summer School
Summer School is a two-day opportunity to deepen your knowledge of municipal leadership while networking with your peers. The core focus of Summer School is to enhance leadership skills and address emerging issues and challenges with your peers. This program operates on a four-year cycle, with each year designed to provide a unique experience for participants in different roles within municipal governance.
In Summer 2025 we will be hosting Mayors Summer School, open to Mayors only. More information about this opportunity will be available on suma.org.
Virtual Advocacy Forum
To wrap up each year SUMA will be hosting our Virtual Advocacy Forum. This online event will provide a platform for SUMA members to meet with provincial leaders to discuss issues and priorities that affect Saskatchewan urban municipalities. More information will be available later in 2025.
Group Benefits
All elected officials of the municipality during their term of office are eligible for Group Term Life Insurance, Optional Term Life Insurance, Accidental Death, Disease & Dismemberment Insurance, Optional Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance, Extended Health Care, Vision Care and Dental Care.
If your municipality has elected official coverage, please ensure that you are enrolling your newly elected officials to the group benefit plan. The effective date of benefit coverage for elected officials is the date they are sworn in to office.
Elected officials that are no longer in office should we removed from the benefits plan effective November 13.
During successive terms of office, coverage continues without interruption. No action is required.
Please contact SUMA Group Benefits for further details.
Opportunities offered in partnership with SUMA
MLDP Program
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The Municipal Leadership Development Program (MLDP) is a resource developed exclusively for elected and appointed municipal leaders in Saskatchewan. These workshops target issues specific to municipalities, and mayors, council, and municipal staff are able to strengthen their local government leadership through this program. SUMA will be hosting Municipal Leadership Roles and Responsibilities sessions in January 2025 in Prince Albert and Moose Jaw. This is the perfect introductory session for newly elected, and returning officials. Visit mldp.ca for more information and to register. |
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Municipal Peer Network
The Saskatchewan Municipal Peer Network is available to help municipal leaders navigate diverse challenges and provide extra support. Elected municipal officials and administrators can connect with highly experienced peer mentors who are veteran municipal administrators and elected officials. Mentors provide one-on-one guidance, and receive assistance with:
- Interpersonal conflict
- Governance practices
- Service provisions
- Public issues
- Roles and responsibilities
Conversations are confidential and at no cost.
Annual SUMA Golf Tournament
The Annual SUMA Golf Tournament is a fantastic way to network with your peers while enjoying a round of golf! The tournament is hosted and organized by a different municipality each year. The Town of Outlook looks forward to welcoming SUMA members and their partners to their community for the SUMA Golf Tournament in 2025.
Keep an eye on our website and member emails for more information in spring 2025.
