Call for councils to split costs for recreational facilities

A call has gone out for Town and County to share equally the cost of recreational facilities.

In making the appeal, Town councillors said it was unreasonable for their municipality to shoulder the lion’s share of expenses – particularly when County ratepayers made up more than 50 per cent of users.

Barrhead Mayor Gerry St. Pierre said he would be more than happy for the County to share property titles. He added a 50:50 partnership should extend to the County-funded Misty Ridge Ski Hill – something proposed by Coun. Leslie Penny.

“I totally agree with you Councillor Penny and that’s a comment I made to Reeve Bill Lee yesterday,” he added.

The remarks came at last Wednesday’s open joint council meeting, which County councillors did not attend because they wanted it held in a private, more informal setting.

St. Pierre said he recalled a time when Town and County made equal contributions to the cost of the Agrena and swimming pool, two big drains on resources.

Then in 1994, he said, the 50:50 partnership ended when the County began scaling back payments.

Over the last 20 years, he said, the Town has subsidized County ratepayers to the tune of about $2.2 million, according to his calculations.

This year, for instance, he said the County contributed 17.7 per cent to the net operating costs of the Agrena and swimming pool.

Coun. Ryan Warehime said he backed a 50:50 agreement for multiple reasons.

“It’s too much of a burden for one district, the Town or the County, to operate on their own,” he said.

“The operating costs are too high. They have to be shared equally.

“We are one community. We share all our services and we need to share our recreation as well on a 50:50 funding agreement.”

Coun. Don Smith said the Town and County had successfully collaborated in such areas as landfill and Fire Services.

“I see one of the best volunteer Fire Services in the province of Alberta,” he said.

He saw no reason why the two municipalities could not forge an equally successful partnership with recreational facilities.

Coun. Shelley Oswald said the benefits of collaboration were evident from other joint ventures.

Without cooperation, it was impossible to maximize the potential of the town’s recreational facilities.

“We need to work together so we can be bigger and better and serve our community better,” she said.

A good example of inter-municipality partnership, she added, was the Alberta 55-plus Summer Games last year which were hailed a big success.