BONNYVILLE – Town of Bonnyville council is showing their support for the services offered by the Bonnyville and District Family and Community Support Services (FCSS).
During their Dec. 8 meeting, council passed a motion to write a letter to Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul MLA David Hanson encouraging the Alberta government not to cut FCSS funding to balance the provincial budget.
“I think it’s important that our council send a letter to our MLA encouraging him to support the services that we do provide in rural municipalities,” stressed Coun. Elisa Brosseau, who is the new chair for the FCSS board. “We did hear . . . social programs might be on the chopping block and we need to make sure that we have a voice there in supporting them and showing how important they are in our communities. Especially in rural settings.”
According to Bonnyville FCSS director of community services David Beale, they will also be reaching out to the local MLA.
“The association had encouraged us to talk to our MLAs and to try and encourage them not to be putting the FCSS funding on the chopping block,” he detailed.
“Our board did approve inviting our MLA to join us for a meeting in the new year and we will be doing that but it was also suggested and approved by our board that we recommend to this council to send a letter to our MLA in support of FCSS funding and ask that it not be reduced to balance the provincial budget.”
When Beale presented the 2021 budget for the FCSS and to the town, he did so under the assumption that their funding wouldn’t change. While no one has outright said they could receive less, Beale believed there was a possibility as they’re funded by the Government of Alberta.
The town isn’t the only local municipality reaching out to the province when it comes to the money put toward the FCSS. During their Sept. 23 meeting, MD of Bonnyville council voted in favour of writing to Hanson requesting more information about the funds for the local FCSS.