The Town of Stettler and the City of Camrose are teaming up on a joint resolution to pressure the Alberta government into expanding its water infrastructure funding.
The resolution will be presented at the Alberta Municipalities Fall Convention.
It calls on the province to overhaul its Water for Life funding framework to include municipalities that service massive rural populations.
Currently, the program heavily prioritizes multi-municipal regional pipelines.
Stettler and Camrose argue this model unfairly excludes single municipalities that act as regional hubs.
While the town’s population sits at 5,695 people, it serves a regional market of 42,000 stretching from Lacombe to the Saskatchewan border.
Compounding the problem is a drop in provincial support over the last fifteen years.
The documents note that in 2009, Alberta municipalities received approximately $635 per person in provincial funding.
By 2023, that number plummeted to about $327 per person when adjusted for inflation.
Council Debate Over Wording Of Resolution
The advocacy conversation sparked debate among council during the May 19 town meeting.
Councillor Kurt Baker, who was unable to attend, sent a letter voicing concerns that the resolution’s wording could come across as adversarial to the provincial government.
Mayor Gord Lawlor countered that both administrators and AB Munis staff have carefully crafted the wording.
Lawlor noted that any specific nuances would be best handled directly from the microphone during debate on the convention floor.
Council voted to accept the recommendation to support the resolution at the upcoming fall convention.
Author: Landin Chambers
Landin Chambers is a news reporter for Hometown Media Stettler. He has a background in broadcast news, with previous roles in Prince George, Red Deer and Calgary. You may also see him as a cameraman for the Stettler Wildcats and Stettler Imperials. Have a story idea? Email: lchambers@htproductionsmedia.ca
