Executive for the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) have heard first-hand the challenges and opportunities councils are facing.

Members including President Ralph Groening, Vice-Presidents Brad Saluk and Kam Blight, Central District Directors Martin Harder and Morris Olafson, and Executive Director Denys Volkov have wrapped up an annual tour to the region. According to the lobby group, it is a priority to visit each of the member municipalities at least once an election cycle. This year, the delegation visited the RM of Macdonald, RM of Thompson, City of Winkler, Municipality of Lorne, RM of Grey, RM of Cartier, and RM of Headingley.

"It gives us an opportunity to directly contact councils and listen to their concerns so we can work more effectively on their behalf when we do our lobbying to the Province of Manitoba, said President Groening, noting these tours are the most interesting, challenging yet most effective way for AMM to maintain contact with its member communities.

"This is a unique method and I think we in Manitoba take a more proactive approach to staying in contact with our municipalities," added Groening, "I think this is an essential part of what we do in order to maintain our role as an affective advocate on behalf of all the municipalities in Manitoba."

A recurring theme during each session, according to Groening, was the status of Phase Two of the federal-provincial-municipal Investing in Canada infrastructure program.

"This goes back to our election theme which was we (AMM) want to be Partners in Growth with the Province of Manitoba. We want to initiate a Team Manitoba approach with the present government, and we have a good working relationship with them, but we need the funding in order to keep Manitoba, to keep municipalities growing," explained Groening.

Also discussed repeatedly was the issue of rural crime prevention and policing services.

Groening noted this topic has slowly worked its way into a priority policy concern for AMM.

"We're not unique in Manitoba. Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario have all experienced the same challenge of how to deal with rural crime, how to deal with policing, how can we work effectively with the provincial and federal governments to create safe communities?", he said.

Additionally, economic development and drainage were also priority talking points for local councils during the meetings.