Region residents to be asked to evaluate model when complete

A subcommittee of FIP (Flagstaff Intermunicipal Partnership), with representation from all the region’s municipalities, is currently crafting a single tier model of government for consideration and discussion by the public in each community.
“Right now, we all have a lot of questions about what this would look like and what adopting such a model would mean to each community. We are creating a solution that answers those questions,” said Bob Coutts, Deputy Mayor of Forestburg and FIP Chair.
The subcommittee is using information and data collected so far (spanning a year of work) which includes:
• A public opinion survey on services provided and desired.
• The results of a professional infrastructure management analysis that shows what re-investment in aging infrastructure like water/sewer pipes and roads is required.
• A viability assessment of current municipal operations.
• An agreed-to set of principles (governance, taxation, services, community identity) that reflects successful amalgamation implementations elsewhere.
There are very clear parameters around what can and can’t be done as the FIP subcommittee works out details of a model.
As Perry Robinson, Mayor of Sedgewick said, “It states very clearly in the Municipal Governance Act that debt and savings remain with the municipality that created them.
“So, this isn’t about having another community pay off your debt or about losing savings. This model will be focused on how we work better together in the future to find long-term success in attracting families and investment, and being able to provide for quality of life-focused services.
“We owe this to the next generation, concluded Robinson.
The governance model will be worked on over the next couple of months.
When a solution is ready, FIP will go back to region residents with a public consultation process that seeks feedback and considers any further tweaking of the single tier governance model based on this feedback.
Following that, each municipality, by motion of Council, will decide whether their community will participate in a single tier governance model (amalgamation).
In the mean-time, Questions of the Week, where people can ask any question (easiest to reach us at feedback@flagstaffunited.ca) and we generate some answers, will be posted on the www.flagstaffunited.ca website.
The Flagstaff Intermunicipal Partnership is comprised of representatives from all municipalities within the Flagstaff region: the towns of Daysland, Hardisty, Killam and Sedgewick, the villages of Alliance, Forestburg, Heisler and Lougheed, and Flagstaff County.
More information on the FIP Regional Governance Initiative can be found at www.flagstaffunited.ca
For more information, contact: Bob Coutts, email: couttshardware@persona.ca  or phone 780-679-4721.