Mayor Grant Creasey and Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Matthew Goudy recently attended the fall Alberta Mid-Sized Cities Mayors’ and CAOs’ Caucus in Lethbridge.
They joined other municipal leaders for productive and meaningful discussions on a number of key issues, including creating opportunities for business and trade, a predictable and stable revenue stream for the mid-sized cities, and an honest acknowledgement of provincial financial realities.
A portion of the meeting focused on the MacKinnon Report with the Minister of Municipal Affairs, Kaycee Madu, outlining potential impacts of the report’s recommendations for municipalities, along with a commitment to implement these strategies in partnership with local governments.
The caucus also heard from Premier Jason Kenney, who spoke frankly about how he will continue to partner with municipalities for economic growth, jobs, diversification, innovation and opportunities to grow revenue. He also highlighted the need to advance Alberta’s energy sector for the benefit of all Albertans.
“We feel confident, following the remarks made by the Premier and the Minister, that the Province is committed to a productive working relationship with mid-sized municipalities to support the needs of Albertans,” said Mayor Grant Creasey. “While the MacKinnon Report shows that fiscal belt-tightening is in the works, we feel assured that the restraints will result in an improved financial outlook for Alberta after two years.”
The Alberta Mid-Sized Cities Mayors’ and CAOs’ Caucus is comprised of 22 cities and towns from across the province. Together the caucus creates solutions to respond to matters of common interest and advocates for the needs of mid-sized municipalities, home to one million Albertans.
-Submitted by the City of Lacombe