The County of Stettler has selected a new leader to guide council through the coming year following a close vote at Tuesday’s organizational meeting.
Coun. James Nibourg was elected Reeve for the first time in a 4-3 secret-ballot vote over outgoing Reeve Larry Clarke, who’s held the post since joining council in 2017.
Nibourg, who was first elected to county council in 2010, will serve as Reeve heading into 2027.
Coun. Alan Gano was also elected Deputy Reeve until the county’s next organizational meeting in October 2027.
“It’s truly an honour because the County of Stettler is a phenomenal county,” Nibourg said following his election. “We’re well respected with other municipalities in the surrounding area, and I want to continue that going forward.”
Nibourg pointed to municipal relations as a focus for his term, emphasizing the need to maintain strong ties with regional partners.
“My priorities, I think, are going to be that we continue the mutual respect between our related municipalities and stakeholders,” he said. “I want to continue to foster good relationships between our friends and neighbours.”
The incoming Reeve credited Clarke for his work during his tenure as Reeve, particularly regarding regional water projects.
Council voted to keep Clarke on the Shirley McClellan Regional Water Services Commission board to continue that work.
“I commend councillor Clarke, he’s been a champion for water lines and water renewal within the county, and I’m sure he will continue to be that champion,” Nibourg said.
“We left him on the Shirley McClellan [board] for that reason, because everybody has passion for what they do, and he definitely has a passion for that one.”
Looking ahead to the upcoming budget season, Nibourg outlined financial challenges facing the municipality, including aging infrastructure and cost pressures.
“Bridges have been another major issue for us. We have a huge deficit, and the general economy as well,” Nibourg noted. “It’s not getting any cheaper to live, and we’re going to try to work together to keep things affordable tax wise.”
He warned that the council will face difficult choices as operational expenses rise alongside revenue losses from unpaid oil & gas taxes.
“Our costs are going up, and we’re going to have to make some hard and tough decisions on how we can cut some costs,” he said.
With tax revenues from these industries shifting, Nibourg said council must explore new revenue streams to protect the county’s bottom line.
“With oil and gas going a bit by the wayside for us, I think we have to find something to replace it,” Nibourg explained, pointing out that Coun. Gano has been leading efforts in that area.
“Maybe it’s tourism, maybe there’s some economic development opportunities out there we can be looking at. The fact that our oil and gas companies continue to withdraw from paying taxes really does hurt our bottom line.”
Despite the economic hurdles ahead, Nibourg expressed confidence in the current council’s ability to navigate the upcoming year.
“Those things are going to affect us budget wise, but I think we’ve got the right seven people at this table to make that decision,” he said.
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
