We’ve said it before, but it demands to be said again. Residents of the Town of Westlock, Westlock County and Village of Clyde would undoubtedly be better served if the three municipalities cast their lots together and amalgamated.
At the very least, the joint services board should expand to encompass the vast majority of municipal facilities and be given the power to requisition tax dollars directly from residents, similar to the seniors’ foundation and the school board.
The reason should be obvious.
If there’s one thing that’s become abundantly clear over the last several years, it’s that the three municipal governments are either unwilling or unable to put the community as a whole at the forefront of their decision making. Of course the biggest issue for the three municipalities is funding for the Spirit Centre, and by extension all operating funding for recreation in the area. The inequalities are well documented, and need not be repeated here in detail.
Another issue that just doesn’t seem to go away is the issue of library funding. If everybody who has spent time worrying about getting Clyde to join the Westlock Municipal Library had $10 for each hour they spent worrying about it, it would probably be enough to pay Clyde’s share. In fact, libraries should be considered an essential service and there’s really no good reason for Clyde not to get involved.
The Pembina Lodge expansion, on the other hand, is testament to what we can accomplish if all our municipalities are pulling in the same direction. The Westlock Foundation can requisition funds directly from taxpayers, has a board that comprises councillors from all member municipalities, and got a multi-million dollar facility planned and put together — on budget and just a little behind schedule.
The undeniable fact is that virtually every community facility in the area is used by residents of all three municipalities, and nobody is served by the inter-municipal rivalry and resentment that has built up as a result of our municipal governments pulling in different directions.
It’s time we all got on the same page and made it a priority to do what’s best for the community. We don’t have any huge industries in the area to rely upon for tax dollars to fund these essential projects, we’ve only got each other.
