The Municipal District of Bonnyville Council is ecstatic after their resolution regarding municipalities maintaining their autonomy received 96 per cent of the vote at a recent AAMDC (Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties) convention.
Reeve Ed Rondeau says the resolution they put forth at the convention was all about keeping the Municipal Government Act (MGA) fair and allowing municipalities to maintain their autonomy when dealing with inter-municipal cooperation and possible amalgamation.
“We put forth the resolution for the AAMDC to discuss with the province the importance of maintaining autonomy in the rural areas,” said Rondeau.
“It was also to make sure that when several municipalities want to join together, the province takes the necessary time.”
The resolution states that the AAMDC requests the government: “to retain existing components of the MGA that enables local decision making in pursuit of inter-municipal cooperation and changes of municipal status, including specialized municipalities and the formation of new municipalities as a result of amalgamation, in any amendments to the MGA…”
The resolution comes as a response to the “regional government resolution” that was put forth by the City of Cold Lake at this past fall's AUMA (Alberta Urban Municipalities Association) meeting.
Cold Lake Council's resolution, which recommends the provincial government create legislation that will provide incentives and financial support to communities to encourage municipal amalgamation, passed after garnering 63 per cent of the collective vote.
Rondeau feels the Cold Lake resolution would give some municipalities the power to bully others into corners and give them little to no decisions when it comes to amalgamation or the annexation of land.
“The Cold Lake motion wanted to expedite things,” said Rondeau. “We want to make sure the province takes the time to do the studies so that everything works for everybody involved.”
“The biggie for us is that none of this should be able to be forced onto any municipality,” Rondeau added. “It has to be done through a voluntary process, so if one municipalities wants to amalgamate and the other doesn't, then it is a no go.”
Cold Lake Mayor Craig Copeland says City Council's resolution is all about creating an avenue and a process for municipalities to work through the amalgamation process, should neighbouring municipalities choose to do so. He doesn't feel the resolution puts pressure on anyone.
“If the Town of Bonnyville, the City of Cold Lake, the MD of Bonnyville and the Village of Glendon wanted to all amalgamate and make the area a better place to be governed and have money spent wisely. The province would provide incentives for it to happen,” said Copeland. “This is about making an area a better place to live and to spend taxpayers dollars more wisely and efficiently.
The MD of Bonnyville wasn't the only municipality at the AAMDC with issues regarding the current amalgamation process outlined in the MGA.
The County of Barrhead, who backed the MD of Bonnyville's resolution, also put forth their own resolution requesting the provincial government amend several sections of the MGA, to give municipalities more of a choice in the amalgamation process.
According to their resolution, on Sept. 9, 2014 the County of Barrhead found out through social media that the Town of Barrhead had made a decision to initiate amalgamation with them.
Two days later, the Town of Barrhead sent a letter to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and the amalgamation process had started, without any prior notification or discussions with the municipality on the matter.
This led to the County of Barrhead Council creating a resolution that asks for an amendment to the MGA “so as to give equal responsibility to the initiating municipality to negotiate in good faith.”
They also asked for several of the sections of the MGA be amended so no one municipality can start a amalgamation process without the full involvement, prior negotiations and consent of the other municipality.
The Barrhead resolution received a backing of 98 per cent of those at the AAMCD Convention, which included the MD of Bonnyville.
“Just because one neighbour passes a resolution, it shouldn't force the other neighbour to the (negotiation) table,” said Rondeau. “It is about going through the proper process.”
All of the resolutions regarding the amalgamation process and the creation of regional governments will put the provincial government in a difficult situation.
Cold Lake and other municipalities have given the AUMA marching orders to go to the province and seek the promotion of their “regional government resolution,” while the MD of Bonnyville has given the AAMDC marching orders to take a completely opposite resolution to the province as well.
The province will have a dilemma on their hands as they sift through two opposing resolutions.
Copeland feels the situation could be impacted by a third party; industry.
“The ones that are silent in the room is industry,” said Copeland. “Industry is sitting their paying tens of millions of dollars in taxes that are going to where their people don't necessarily all live. There are frustrations out there in the industry that they want to see better allocations of their tax dollars.”