Al Kemmere, a Mountain View County (MVC) councillor and the newly re-elected president of the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) Association, says rural Alberta will be facing challenges on several fronts over the next two years.
Kemmere was re-elected by acclamation to a third two-year term as RMA president last week. The association represents 69 rural municipalities, including MVC.
“The challenges coming forward during the new term (2019-20) are probably going to be as profound as they ever have been,” Kemmere told the Gazette. “The load is not going to be diminished and I know that going in.
“We are in the midst of having discussions with the province on the MSI (municipal sustainability initiative) funding and trying to figure out how we can maintain that program as much as possible and not take massive cuts.
“We hear talk about balancing the (provincial) budget and we as municipalities are willing to do our part, but to not fund infrastructure is not an option. We are going to be worried about that.”
Two upcoming elections will also be of great interest to the RMA and its members, he said.
“On the bigger picture, we’ve got a provincial election coming up in the spring months somewhere and a federal election sometime in the fall (2019) unless someone calls an earlier one,” he said.
“We will be trying to provide the services our members need. We need to make sure the municipalities have the tools available to try to be sustainable.”
Kemmere says despite his work with the RMA, he is confident he will be able to continue to find time to carry out his duties as MVC councillor for Division 7.
“It still all starts in the county and I know that,” he said. “I have the support of council and they will take the load somewhat. I’m still on committees and I still want to work with my residents to make sure that Division 7 and the rest of the county is looked after. Those responsibilities don’t go away.”
