EDMONTON – Alberta’s municipal affairs minister assured rural
government officials their areas won’t be treated differently than
large cities when the government hands out money for roads and
infrastructure.
“The same principles that apply to urban municipalities are the same
principles we are going to apply to every rural municipality in the
province,” Guy Boutilier told rural councillors at their spring
convention.
“This present government’s relationship with the Alberta Association of
Rural Municipalities and Districts is the strongest relationship with
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any association in the entire country,” he said.
During a question period, councillor John Kolk of Lethbridge said he
didn’t know if it was any good to have a “special relationship” with
the provincial government when organizations that fight with the
province seem to receive more attention.
“Let’s make sure that special relationship has some benefits for rural
Albertans and don’t make us stand up and fight.”
Urban and rural government officials were angered when the provincial
government announced during the budget it was reducing the amount of
money that it would transfer to cities and rural areas for
transportation projects. It blamed low oil and gas revenue for the plan
to cut the funding by 70 percent over three years.
Shortly after the budget was released, angry Calgary and Edmonton
mayors met with premier Ralph Klein and transportation minister Ed
Stelmach to ask for a return to full funding to allow them to plan
future construction projects.
The mayors left the meeting confident full funding had been restored
indefinitely.
Rural councillors were unsure if the two large centres had won a return
to full funding and rural areas didn’t, but were assured by Boutilier
they would be treated fairly.
Stelmach told the councillors that while the last quarter of the fiscal
year improved enough to restore full funding to urban and rural
municipalities across the province, the program will only be maintained
if the province continues to have a strong balance sheet.
“We have to be flexible to economic circumstances,” he said.
The formula-based grants given to municipalities will be maintained if
“revenue stabilizes and there are no unforeseen events.”
