The Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties (AAMDC) will be tracking a number of provincial initiatives and programs in the new year, including the controversial carbon levy, says president Al Kemmere.
A Mountain View County councillor, Kemmere says the association has formed a committee to specifically look at the levy.
“We will be watching the whole role of the carbon tax and the changes in the energy programs,” said Kemmere. “It is going to take some time.
“The AAMDC board authorized a committee made up of some of our members to try and do a review of the impacts of the carbon tax and the impacts of the various changes in the energy programs. “We are trying to understand the impacts and even go as far as looking for opportunities that we could possibly get our members to consider when this comes forward, so that we capture some of the benefits of whatever the province is bringing forward.”
Under the province's new Climate Leadership Plan, which comes into effect on Jan. 1, carbon levies will be imposed on Alberta residents, companies, municipalities, school boards and others for energy use.
The association will also be tracking a number of other issues, including the review of provincial legislation.
“We will be taking part in the ongoing discussions about future amendments to the Municipal Government Act because the province has submitted a few more ideas they want to talk about,” he said.
“And then there's the ongoing discussions about the municipal sustainability initiative (grant program). It's coming under review so we will be engaged in that. The province has asked us for input and we are actually meeting with other stakeholders to try and develop a better understanding of what to expect in the future.”
The AAMDC represents 69 rural municipalities, including Mountain View and Red Deer counties. Agriculture is a big part of many of those communities.
“We will be tracking the whole role of agriculture in the province and the changes that agriculture is facing,” he said. “We are constantly working with the farming commodity groups to try and build an understanding and see where we can help.”
Another issue the association will be tracking in 2017 is the “ongoing challenges with unpaid property taxes and the education property taxes from oil and gas companies,” he said.
"We will be watching the whole role of the carbon tax and the changes in the energy programs."Al Kemmerepresident Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties.
