Rural communities might need to consider economies of scale for operations, but history and pride can get in the way
The move toward regional amalgamation in two rural Alberta communities has ended with opposite results as the thorny issue of the love for residents’ municipal identity clashes with fiscal realities.
Black Diamond and Turner Valley plan to forward their joint-proposal to Alberta’s Municipal Affairs ministry next month to amalgamate into the community of Diamond Valley.
The attempt to do the same with the communities of Brooks and County of Newell barely got off the drawing board before a public outcry nixed discussions in 2019.
Molly Douglass, Newell County Reeve, said the situation was unfortunate because there was no opportunity to examine what the cost benefits could be to taxpayers in both communities.
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“Municipalities need to look at every possible efficiency they can because municipal income is getting relied upon for many more services,” said Douglass, highlighting water, sewer, road maintenance and policing costs.
“All those things people want.”
The administrative costs of managing those services can also potentially be reduced in communities through amalgamation that would see Brooks’s 15,000 residents combined with the 8,000 who live in Newell, said Douglass. If the towns within the county joined, that could result in a new community of 30,000.
“What upsets people is the whole idea of autonomy,” she said. “But the average ratepayer does not put a lot of thought into how these services run, they just want them.”
Rising costs for municipalities due to the gloomy fiscal reality of Alberta, which has long relied on the oil and gas sector to prop up provincial coffers, will see the issue come up again, predicted Douglass.
“We have regional water. We have regional (Family and Community Support Services). We have a regional library system. We have regional economic development. We have a regional landfill,” said Douglass. “All of that tells us regional can work.”
Despite the potential financial benefits, merging communities can be a long and arduous journey. Black Diamond and Turner Valley have made multiple unsuccessful attempts at amalgamation over decades.
“It’s not easy for communities if everybody is not on the same side because there are always emotions with these decisions,” said Sharlene Brown, Black Diamond’s chief administrative officer.
Brown said one of the sticking points in past attempts has been policing costs. But after the province announced it would no longer exempt communities of less than 5,000 residents from those costs, that barrier no longer exists for the combined community population of 5,700.
The two municipalities share more than just a border with a regional water system, co-ordinated garbage pick-up, as well as shared use of facilities between them, said Brown.
“But that doesn’t change that cultural piece, that societal cultural piece that people hold on to,” said Brown. “But this is probably the closest we’ve got to an actual decision.”
That decision will be in the hands of the province once the community consultation report is delivered to Municipal Affairs.
If accepted, a municipal election could be called for the town of Diamond Valley in late 2022.
