SMWS: preparing for the referendum - email
- Riley Gettens
- Mar 27
- 2 min read
Below is a copy of the email I sent to citizens who I have connected with about the SMWS.
You are receiving this email because you have either subscribed to the OurAreaF.com blog or we have connected about the Sage Mesa Water System referendum. I won’t send another mass email like this again and apologize for the intrusion.
The sentiment that ratepayers did not create the SMWS problem and should not bear the cost is understandable, and it is a position the RDOS Board has advocated for repeatedly. Since the McElhanney Assessment, the RDOS Chair, Vice-Chair, CAO, and I have met with every relevant Minister and their staff multiple times to advocate for pre-referendum funding. Residents have written countless letters, submitted petitions, and connected with elected officials. MLA Boultbee continues to advocate for the community’s behalf. The province has confirmed its position, that public funding will not flow to private utilities, in question period in the legislature, in writing to the RDOS, and in direct communication to SMWS citizens.
You have heard me say this before: the referendum offers two paths forward, and each path has its own operational and financial realities.
A NO vote preserves private ownership and provincial management, keeping the system ineligible for public funding and long-term borrowing with Municipal Finance Authority.
A YES vote transfers the system to the RDOS (public ownership), removing the province's long-standing justification for inaction.
Infrastructure work on the SMWS will happen. For affected residents, this referendum will be a one of the most significant financial decisions you are required to make. This blog post compares RDOS proposed debt servicing with the recent SMWS notice from the comptroller.
Whatever you decide, your vote must be informed. Here is how to prepare:
Review the McElhanney engineering and financial assessments and the information available on RDOS Regional Connections.
Understand how Assent Voting works (it is provincially legislated process)
Develop an understanding of how local government borrowing and governance work.
Speak with your professional advisors (financial or legal advisor, mortgage broker, insurance provider) and ask what this referendum means for your specific household or property situation.
Do your own research and develop your knowledge so when you cast your vote, you are confident that the decision you are making has been well thought out and based on the facts provided. If you have questions for me, please email or phone. I welcome the opportunity to offer any clarity I can.
Thank you, Riley
250-488-0246
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