Seeking answers for our community
An open letter from County Council
Dear Strathcona County Resident:
Over the last months, you have likely heard and read about the Province's plan for the future of the Capital Region.
The process began last June, when Premier Stelmach announced he was bringing together the 25 Capital Region municipalities to develop a plan for the future.
Your local Council strongly supported the Premier's goal. We want to be good neighbours. More and better cooperation is always desirable. With so much growth forecast for our region, we saw the need for municipalities and the Province to develop workable proposals on a number of issues.
We continue to believe this can best be achieved through collaboration and cooperation, respect for local autonomy, and accountability to taxpayers for decisions.
Throughout the summer and fall, Strathcona County participated at every opportunity in the regional review. We met with the Province's consultants, supplied information and put ideas forward for consideration.
All this work led up to December 17, 2007 and a much-anticipated announcement from the Province setting out the plans for a new regional Board and the future of the Capital Region.
This newsletter is intended to inform County residents about what we know, and the questions we feel need to be asked.
What does the future hold for our community under the new Board?
The new Board creates significant uncertainty for Strathcona County and the Capital Region as a whole. The Board has binding decision-making powers, and can requisition money through the Province from local municipalities. We also know that under the voting system, the City of Edmonton alone has the power to veto or control decisions for the region.
Seeking answers
After several weeks of analyzing the report released by the Province, requesting detail from the Province, and talking to other municipalities, we still have many questions.
- Under the new Board, how will we be protected against projects being imposed in our municipality against our will?
- What costs might Strathcona County be expected to pay toward regional projects? What are the tax implications for residents, business and industry?
- Will the new regional Board provide the stable environment needed for the industrial projects planned for our region? These are important questions that can affect the quality of life we value in Strathcona County.
What we do know
So far, the information available to us is not detailed enough to determine the full impact on our municipality.
We do know:
- The processes used to develop the plan for the Capital Region and discuss recommendations with the Government of Alberta were completed within about six months, an extremely ambitious timetable given the complexity of the issues. As the Province resumes work on the regional plan after the election, Strathcona County hopes to have the opportunity for more in-depth discussion of options.
- The Province's report would appear to allocate a disproportionately high share of the costs for regional core infrastructure investment (38 per cent) to municipalities, given that the municipal portion of new taxation revenues may be much less. Some estimates indicate that the federal and provincial portion of new taxes may be as much as 90-95 per cent, leaving only five to 10 per cent available for municipalities.
It appears that the estimated cost of new capital investment indicated as the responsibility of municipalities may not be able to be fully offset by new municipal tax revenues. This means the provincial and federal governments need to assume more of the cost-sharing responsibility, or local municipal taxes may need to increase. - Under the new regional Board, municipalities other than Edmonton may have reduced ability to shape policy for the region. Until now Strathcona County and its neighbours have been successful in shaping regional policy in a collaborative and cooperative manner that respects municipal autonomy. See Frequently asked question on regional issues.
- The new Board could potentially delay the approval of parts, or all, of the County's Municipal Development Plan until a new regional plan is put in place--time period with no certain end date. In the interim, this could hinder industry's development planning and municipal decision-making, and add a measure of uncertainty for developers and landowners.
- Plans for the Capital Region and the new Board present the most significant issue to face our County in a number of years. Nevertheless, we are committed to building on the success of the Capital Region--whether through the extension of rapid transit, addressing housing needs within the region, or through effective land use planning that respects the needs of all parties.
Your Council continues to work with our regional neighbours and Provincial representatives as we strive to be an equal and effective partner in the Capital Region.
Cathy Olesen, Mayor
on behalf of Strathcona County Council
Last updated: Wednesday, September 01, 2010
Page ID: 2142