Can’t we just get along?
That is a question municipalities are being asked by the provincial government.
Well it really isn’t so much of a question, but an order.
In an effort to stretch resources, the province has basically said neighbouring municipalities will have to co-operate and share the costs of regional services.
Wonderful in theory, but when it comes to real world application, it gets a little trickier, as residents can attest to after watching the Town of Barrhead and the County of Barrhead struggle with coming up with a lasting recreation agreement.
In our case, it looks like we will finally be able to get a resolution, as Municipal Affairs minister Shaye Anderson has started the ball rolling on a binding arbitration process which will cement a long-term solution.
What that recreation agreement will actually look like is anyone’s guess, but it begs the question; What about next time?
Recreation is just one of the many areas that the town and county work together on.
Will this process have a domino effect and impact other areas, whether they are contentious or not?
Then there are all the other municipalities that border both the town and county.
In our Feb. 28 issue, we published a story on how the province plans to use the example of the co-operative relationship between Woodlands County and the Town of Whitecourt as a model for the rest of the province to follow.
Speaking from personal experience, living in Whitecourt, the two municipalities truly have a good working relationship.
But that doesn’t mean there isn’t the occasional hiccup.
Take the decision on whether the county should share the costs of a booth at the Global Petroleum Show. While they voted in favour of attending the petroleum trade show, it wasn’t unanimous. Councillors Ron Govenlock and Dale McQueen voted against.
Whitecourt Central Coun. Ron Govenlock noted that in the last 10 years attending trade shows, such as this one, the county has received limited benefits.
He stated similar concerns when Woodlands County councillors debated whether or not they should approve the Whitecourt Woodlands County Tourism (WWT) revised budget last week, saying it contained a number of items that would only benefit Whitecourt and not the county.
If he is right and that many items the WWT budget favour Whitecourt and not the county, perhaps they really need to reevaluate whether or not to pass it.
First and foremost, Woodlands County’s first obligation is to its ratepayers. The same can be said of all the other municipalities. So what are the chances the province will get its wish and all these municipalities will sign multiple agreements with all their neighbours? About the same as I have of making the starting lineup of an NHL team.
So that means the province really should be using Barrhead as a model because to get the outcome they want, they will have to step in time and time again. Get ready for the fireworks.
