Newly re-elected Mountain View County Reeve Bruce Beattie says the municipality is in a good position to meet challenges facing the municipality over the next year.
Beattie was re-elected by fellow councillors to a sixth term at the Oct. 26 organizational meeting. The reeve is the principal spokesperson for the municipality as well as the chair of council meetings and a member on all committees.
“Certainly land use continues to be challenge, the whole issue around our tax base and our reliance on oil and gas and whether and how we expand or diversify,” Beattie told the Gazette following his re-election.
“Those are challenges we will all face as a community. That will be a major issue we will face.”
Dealing with the updated Municipal Government Act (MGA) and related regulations may also be a challenge moving forward, he said.
“We will be required, as we are told, to develop these agreements with our urban partners,” he said. “We are well on the way in that area.
“We will have to look forward to see what other changes may come out of the MGA that may affect how we operate as a municipality.”
The new provincial Water Act also poses challenges, he said.
“Even from an operational perspective we know that across the province even putting in a new culvert now becomes a bit of a challenge,” he said.
Dealing with the new provincial carbon levy will also be something the county will be dealing with, he said.
“We've done a small amount of analysis when it comes to that,” he said. “I think we are going to see how it is instituted. It's not a major expense to our county at this point, but there will be a ripple effect through the economy. There's lots of discussion around the carbon levy.”
Beattie thanked his fellow councillors for re-electing him.
“I consider it a privilege,” he said.
Asked if he plans to seek re-election during the 2017 municipal election, Beattie said “I given it a lot of thought but I haven't made any particular decision.”
Deputy Reeve Patricia McKean was also re-elected to a sixth term.
"I've loved every minute of it but I'm going to give somebody else an opportunity."Patricia McKeanMVC Deputy Reeve
