Bashaw Council: FCSS budget request slightly up this year

Bashaw town council heard that the funding request for local Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) will be slightly higher this year. The presentation was made at the Jan. 2 regular meeting of council.

Bashaw & District Support Services (BDSS) Executive Director Christine Buelow presented to councillors that organization’s proposed 2025 budget plus the FCSS amount, BDSS was requesting from the municipality: $89,040, which Buelow described as being slightly higher than 2024.

She explained one of the reasons for an increase was a cost of living salary boost for staff involved in programming.

Buelow’s presentation noted that BDSS handles many local social and community programs.

“Communities need a centralized source to facilitate participation in community issues, contribute resources and access services,” stated her presentation.

“Through the use of community development practices, promotion of volunteerism and facilitation of relationships a community will come together to establish service needs and resources to meet those needs.”

Buelow explained BDSS oversees many programs that utilize FCSS funds, which are granted on an 80 to 20 per cent split between the provincial government and local taxpayers.

Some of the FCSS programs BDSS is involved with include the community wellness program, Roots of Empathy, the one-on-one youth Navigation program, Meals on Wheels, referrals to other agencies, Tools for School, youth programming and FCSS administration.

Buelow stated BDSS also participates in a number of non-FCSS programs, including Generation Daycare, home support and mental health services, plus many others.

Additionally, BDSS also participates in the following non-FCSS contracted services: the handibus, food bank and adult learning.

During discussion, a number of youth programs which BDSS is involved in were discussed. Coun. Kyle McIntosh asked if it was safe to say 100 per cent of kids who attend school in Bashaw benefit from BDSS programs, to which Buelow answered yes.

While also discussing programs which are offered in Bashaw while also available in the surrounding region, Buelow noted the only program she could think of that is exclusively available inside Bashaw’s limits is Meals on Wheels, which most readers will know is a service which delivers fresh meals for senior citizens or others who have difficulty with mobility.

Buelow noted the logistics of providing meals for people outside of Bashaw is too much to overcome. However, she suggested that BDSS still tries to help people outside of Bashaw who are close by.

The discussion came around to the topic of the possibility of reduced Government of Alberta funding; Buelow stated that BDSS, as a non-profit society, has a board of directors and if provincial funding was reduced the board would have to talk that over and decide how such a possibility could affect BDSS’ community work and the organization’s front end.

The executive director pondered that if funding was reduced, BDSS may have fewer resources and therefore have to turn some people away; it was noted in that situation people may be encouraged to go to Camrose, Alix or Donalda to find help. She pointed out other communities may not have the same programs that Bashaw offers.

As councillors discussed the possibility of reduced provincial funding it was suggested that such a move could result in reduced services and that by referring people to other communities it may in effect mean some services were no longer available to Bashaw residents, especially taking into account things like mobility, travel time and expenses.

Coun. Cindy Orom added that some residents may not be aware of the large role BDSS’ programs play in the community.

Councillors accepted Buelow’s budget request as information; typically, such requests are forwarded to the council’s budget deliberations meetings.

Stu Salkeld
Local Journalism Initiative reporter
ECA Review

About the author

Stu Salkeld

Stu Salkeld, who has upwards of 28 years of experience in the Alberta community newspaper industry, is now covering councils and other news in the Stettler region and has experience working in the area as well.

He has joined the ECA Review as a Local Journalism Initiative Journalist.

Stu earned his two-year diploma in print journalism from SAIT in Calgary from 1993 to ’95 and was raised in Oyen, Alta., one of the communities within the ECA Review’s coverage area.