Just as quickly as the subject of municipal amalgamation resurfaced a month ago, it disappeared again last week when Athabasca town council declined to even make a motion — much less pass one — to explore increased regional collaboration with Athabasca County.
So is that it, then? Is amalgamation officially a dead issue for another seven years, maybe longer? Not so fast.
The recent talks of amalgamation came out of nowhere, more or less. No one campaigned on an amalgamation platform in last fall’s municipal elections. It now seems that among elected officials, only Athabasca Mayor Roger Morrill was interested in pursuing it. Therefore, its demise at the town council table is hardly surprising.
However, the public reaction to the notion of amalgamation wasn’t one of widespread rejection. True, there are many who remain vehemently opposed to it, but there were also encouraging signs of interest the concept. So it’s not necessary that amalgamation be banished to political gulag for another seven years.
Those who support amalgamation, particularly those outside the political arena, should continue to promote it. Demonstrate a public appetite for at least examining the pros and cons of scenarios up to and including a full-blown municipal merger. In short, don’t let it die. Then, in three years or less when the next municipal election rolls around, make it an issue. Force candidates to put their cards on the table. Don’t accept the silence demonstration last Tuesday as a response.
Morrill seems to suggest that council’s reluctance to examine amalgamation stems from a fear of hard work. Probably more accurate is it’s a fear of wasted work.
The challenge now facing Morrill and others is to prove that a thorough evaluation of amalgamation would not, in fact, be time wasted.
