The disturbing trend of the provincial and federal governments downloading costs onto municipalities is not a new one, but continues to raise significant concerns for residents of smaller municipalities trying to keep a balance budget while still maintaining a respectable quality of life for residents.
It happens with nearly every major service our governments are expected to provide. Healthcare? It’s a provincial responsibility, but without the significant amounts of money our area municipalities put into a physician retention and recruitment fund, undoubtedly
Policing? That’s a responsibility of the provincial solicitor general for communities of this size, but we know Westlock County has picked up that tab for one of our local RCMP members, and there’s ongoing discussion about having municipalities and the local school board fund another full-time position for a school resource officer. Would that officer have a positive impact on our education system? Perhaps, but again, that’s a provincial responsibility.
This week we’ve heard that funding cuts from the provincial government have left NorQuest College, which operates in Westlock and several other communities in and around the capital region, in a tough spot.
Less funding ultimately means less service provided, which in turn reduces the value this organization can provide to Westlock.
And now mayor Ralph Leriger has said in very clear terms that without a demonstrable value to the community, the town would look to end the significantly subsidized rental rate the college gets in the town-owned Heritage Building.
Inviting college representatives to a council meeting to give them what amounts to a very public dressing down wasn’t the most tactful way to get the message across, and considering NorQuest operates based on a provincial mandate and provincial funding, it was clearly a case of shooting the messenger.
There’s no doubt that without additional funding streams such as higher property taxes, additional industrial or commercial developments to tax, or different taxation powers for municipalities, Westlock will continue to struggle.
However, the problem must be addressed at its root: higher levels of government abdicating their responsibility.
