Following the provincial government’s proposed 2024-25 budget, Alberta Municipalities has expressed some concerns regarding the allotment of $722 million to the Local Government Fiscal Framework.
Despite their concerns, Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton says the announcement came as “no surprise” for the swan city, as Minister of Municipal Affairs Ric McIver has reportedly been advising municipalities of the budget’s expectations.
“Alberta Municipalities does have the stance that the pot needs to be bigger overall; however, Grande Prairie in the new formula did very well because it’s based on some of the gross calculation as we talked about in regards to why we’re doing the census,” she says.
Despite the lack of surprise for the Mayor regarding the provincial budget, Clayton says Grande Prairie and other mid-sized cities have expressed some concerns regarding the lack of funding for affordable housing support.
“The federal government has their housing accelerator fund, to date, the city of Grande Prairie has not heard whether or not we are getting federal support,” she says. “I know that many municipalities across the province, smaller municipalities, have heard whether they are or not but mid-sized cities to date have not heard which is concerning.”
According to Mayor Clayton, Grande Prairie currently boasts a one per cent vacancy rate, and she says support from the federal government is now crucial to help residents who require affordable housing.
“I’m optimistic that the federal government will support mid-sized cities,” she says. “Support from the federal government to recognize the needs across the country and not just in the larger centres in Canada is a priority.”
ABmunis says a “long-range” strategic plan with considerations from municipalities must be considered by the province in order to adequately address the infrastructure challenge across Alberta.
