Premier Danielle Smith met with St. Albert Mayor Cathy Heron and her mid-sized city colleagues last week.
Alberta’s Mid-Sized Cities Mayors’ Caucus held their fall meeting in the Botanical Arts City Oct. 16 to 18. They talked about causes common to their respective residents, including affordability, infrastructure funding and the effects of recent provincial decisions, which, among other things, outlawed automated voting machines and decimated photo radar revenue.
“The event was a great opportunity to have meaningful discussions with other mayors representing cities of similar size and to explore ways we can continue to make progress on advancing our interests with other levels of government,” Heron said in a news release.
Smith and members of her cabinet met with some of the mayors, according to a news release from St. Albert.
Heron said Tuesday government grants are a concern, noting the city’s share of transfers for things like infrastructure from Alberta has shrunk from $14 million to $7 million in recent years.
According to the city’s draft 2025 budget, St. Albert will lose $1 million in photo radar revenue and spend $200,000 more on the coming municipal election as a direct result of changes Smith’s government has made in the last year.
“Which is, you know, half a per cent (of the average tax) increase right there.”
She was happy to take some of the mayors on a tour that highlighted some of the construction taking place in St. Albert.
“They were in awe of what's going on in this community for building and how beautiful it is and those kind of things,” she said. “So in a way we have a lot to be proud of and we pay for it.”
The mid-sized mayors’ caucus represents one million Albertans living in 24 municipalities.