The RM of Victoria shared concerns along with other municipalities about the Municipal By-law Enforcement Act in a recent meeting Infrastructure Minister Blaine Pedersen.

Reeves and Mayors from various municipalities met with Minister Pedersen in Treherne Thursday night, discussing various infrastructure issues such as roads and bridges, but also raising the need for the province to change the By-Law Enforcement Act. RM of Victoria Reeve Harold Purkess says currently municipalities don't have the ability to levy penalties against taxes.

"It kind of leaves as hand-cuffed as far as by-law enforcement goes," says Purkess. "... Because we have no way to collect those penalties for various by-law enforcement offences if they don't allow us to do that."

"It's really important because we have certain by-laws that, if we can't assess the penalty and have the ability to collect it, people just aren't going to obey them."

Purkess points to an unsightly property by-law in the RM of Victoria of one example wherein residents ignore the rules and the municipality can't do anything about it.

"We need the ability to assess a penalty, clean it up and collect the fees," he says. "Otherwise, it's kind of a fruitless effort."

The meeting with Minister Pedersen was positive, Purkess adds, allowing municipalities to share their needs with the provincial government.

"I think they get a first-hand feel of how serious some of these things are to us."