The Sundre councillor who sparked quite a conversation about the municipality's sustainability recently outlined his reasons for requesting a viability review. During council's Jan.
The Sundre councillor who sparked quite a conversation about the municipality's sustainability recently outlined his reasons for requesting a viability review.
During council's Jan. 23 workshop, Myron Thompson was provided with an opportunity to present his case for recommending that course of action, which has stirred up some concerns among other members of council as well as a number of residents.
Initially introducing the notice of motion at the regular Jan. 16 meeting, Thompson pointed out during the workshop that he could not verbally detail at the time the reasons for his suggestion because of council's procedures and that he was pleased for the opportunity to explain his rationale.
Before getting further into detail, the councillor stressed his desire to ensure a transparent process open for the public without entering into any discussions behind closed doors.
"I really wanted to emphasize the need for this to be public," he said.
"It's an extremely important thing to address."
The veteran councillor told his colleagues and about two dozen people who attended the workshop that he had received a number of phone calls from residents — not many, but some — expressing concerns about the municipality's 2017 tax increase.
"I immediately replied with a little disgust in my voice, 'why weren't you people at the public budget meeting?'"
Administrative staff worked hard looking to find every possible cost-cutting measure to present the two-year budget for 2017-18. Yet when a public open house was organized, barely anyone attended to ask questions or share concerns, he said.
"So you assume as a council everybody must be happy."
But once the budget was approved and residents heard about the tax increase, the councillor said he found out some people were not content.
"The first question that came to me that I couldn't answer (was), 'Are you guys sustainable?'"
Responding to such queries, Thompson said he expressed his confidence in Sundre's viability.
"The budget is set, and that's what makes us sustainable. We know we can do it because of the budget. That's the best answer I could give them," he said.
However, the councillor confessed that the question of the community's viability started to loom in his mind.
"I think we are. I believe we are. I feel we are."
But since Thompson wanted to know beyond a shadow of a doubt, he went about obtaining material on municipal viability reviews to learn more about the process.
"I think we really need to take that course, which is put on by Municipal Affairs, that will help us arrive at the fact that yes, we are viable and sustainable. I believe in my heart that we are viable. But I want to be able to firmly convince the public that we are."
A municipal viability review outlining specific details would be beneficial in helping discuss the issues with residents rather than just "winging it as I go," he said.
He went on to clarify the intent of his motion was not to seek the municipality's dissolution.
"I want to make that perfectly clear."
But the public has a right to know just how stable and what kind of position the town is in, he said.
The councillor also expressed a hope to see members of the community striving to make Sundre not just survive, but to thrive and grow.
"We want it to be the best little town in Alberta."
Thompson was unapologetic about introducing the notice of motion and said, "I want to see the council approve it, and I'd love to see this review done with the confidence it's going to show everyone how viable and sustainable we are."
If nothing else comes out of the motion, Thompson said he'd at least like to see council regularly review funding formulas regarding other levels of government from municipal up to federal.
But he remained convinced that "nothing but good can come out this kind of review. We're not doing this to chase anybody away, I hope we're doing it to invite people closer."
However, if that's not an objective fellow councillors agree with, Thompson encouraged his colleagues to vote against his motion.
"If you see something wrong with that, please correct me. But have a decent discussion about it."
Click here for the ensuing conversation among members of council as well as comments from residents.
