A new five-year recreation deal between Innisfail and Red Deer County will see an 89 per cent increase in revenues for the town when the agreement reaches it fourth and fifth years.
The agreement was officially passed by Innisfail town council on Jan. 28 after Red Deer County prepared and approved the initiative last December.
“It is nice they (Red Deer County) are recognizing their contribution,” said Mayor Jim Romane.
Terry Welsh, the town's director of community and protective services, told council the previous agreement between the two municipalities, which began in 2007 and ended on Dec. 31, 2012, stipulated the county pay the town $80,000 a year, a formula based on programs and facilities.
He said the county has now revised its funding formula to a per capita basis, based on recreation service market areas.
Welsh said the markets are based on highway traffic circulation, historical recreation and cultural districts, and geographical areas for minor sports.
Council was told the county has determined the population of the Innisfail market is 4,055. The new agreement, now using the per capita formula, will see the town getting $20 per person in years one to three and $25 a person in years four and five.
“It (agreement) will allow residents of the county to access facilities at the same rate as citizens of Innisfail do,” said Welsh.
Under the new formula, the town will now receive $131,100 for years one to three of the new agreement, a 64 per cent increase over the old deal. In years four and five the town will receive $151,375, a jump of 89 per cent over the previous agreement.
Jo-Ann Symington, the county's community services manager, said the rural municipality was looking at a more “equitable” formula for a new funding arrangement with the region's seven urban municipalities, which include Innisfail, Red Deer, Bowden, Penhold, Sylvan Lake, Delburne and Elnora.
“We are becoming more equitable to what the rural municipalities are spending on recreation,” said Symington. “We looked at our numbers and they were low.”
She said the county will be spending $627,020 to the seven urban municipalities for recreational services this year compared to $390,000 it spent under the old agreement.
“We feel this agreement is an example of cooperation between our two municipalities for the benefit of our residents,” said Symington.
"We are becoming more equitable to what the rural municipalities are spending on recreation."Jo-Ann Symington, Red Deer County community services manager
