The Athabasca Ratepayersí Association (ARPA) is questioning what they believe is a $400,000 funding discrepancy from the 2010 Muskeg Creek local improvement paving project.
ARPA vice president Nichole Adams said their research indicates that the Town of Athabasca allocated $1.25 million to the Muskeg Creek paving project through a tax levy and grants.
ìIf all these figures that I have are correct, all the papers point to the fact that they got $1.25 million for funding,î Adams said.
However, documents obtained by ARPA suggest the amount the town spent on the project was between $600,000 and $900,000, though ARPA acknowledges they donít currently have a concise figure of how much was spent on the project.
ìWe have so many questions,î Adams said. ìWe canít say they did this wrong, or that wrong. What we can say is that all the information leads us to believe that Ö the Municipal Government Act (was) not followed.
ìBasically we found out that this wasnít done properly,î Adams said. ìThere is paperwork either missing, or improperly filed.
ìWe cannot begin to know where these errors are,î she said. ìWe donít have all the answers to our questions and the more information we get, the more questions we have.î
ARPA president Ernest Aleixandre said they donít want to point fingers.
ìWe donít want to make accusations before we have a clear picture,î he said.
ARPA is currently waiting for a Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIP) Act request to be completed by the town, and intends to take their questions to Athabasca town council in June.
ARPA said they want to see all the information regarding the levy, and if indeed there is a funding discrepancy, for town council to amend the tax bylaw.
ìIf the grant money is included, your cost (to the owners of property along the paving project) will go way down because there wonít be anything left to pay,î Adams said.
ìIf they file for amendments to take that grant money elsewhere, thatís when we get on the phone (and) say (to) Jeff Johnson, Minister of Transportation, and Minister of Municipal Affairs, please deny that amendment.î
Adams said ARPA opposes sending the money to another project because it was originally slotted to the Muskeg Creek project.
ìWe want that money applied to the local improvement like it was originally supposed to be,î she said.
If ARPA does not receive the answers they are looking for, they plan to file an appeal with the Municipal Assessment Review Board, and go further if needed.
ìUltimately, if they donít want to do that, if the town refuses to amend the bylaw and refuses to disclose the actual cost, and refuse to do everything that we want, we have to go to Queenís Bench and plead before the court to direct them to amend the bylaw in a manner consistent with the act,î Adams explained.
ìIf they choose to do that, we have to make it a provincial issue.î
Town of Athabasca chief administrative officer Ryan Maier said he could not comment on the projectís funding until ARPA makes a presentation to council regarding the paving.
Aleixandre said they are learning from the information as it is provided to them.
ìWe donít know where things are going to go,î he said. ìThe only thing we can say is that we are going to do everything we can to help (the local improvement ratepayers) out.î
