MOUNTAIN VIEW COUNTY – County councillor Al Kemmere says he is proud of his three, two-year terms as president of the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA), believing the association has done important work for rural communities under his leadership.
Kemmere’s third and final term as president comes to an end on Nov. 4. He chose not to seek re-lection to the post.
Representing 69 rural municipalities, including Red Deer and Mountain View counties, the non-partisan RMA advocates for its membership with the provincial government and other stakeholders.
Kemmere was elected to the association's board in 2010, when the organization was called Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties, and was first elected president in 2014.
During his time as president, Kemmere had dealings with seven Municipal Affairs ministers in three provincial governments: PC, NDP and now UCP.
Working with three different governments spanning a wide political spectrum has been interesting and challenging, he said.
“When I was first elected, it was a PC government and then within my first year the NDP was elected. So, that was a starting all over and getting to know people type of approach,” said Kemmere.
“And then in the most recent election, the UCP was elected and it was again about building new relationships and getting to know people in government.
“They all have their own way of looking at things. I’ve had to deal with all three, the left, the right and the middle type governments. It’s a challenge to learn the ideologies of those types of governments and then trying to respond to how they operate, and their platforms.”
During his three terms, there were many issues that came up for consideration. He pointed out several highlights.
“My first term was on the heels of the 2013 floods, so there were the concerns of flood management,” he said. “There was also the challenge of keeping agriculture on the forefront of government and that remains a work in progress.
“We spent a lot of time trying to make government understand that we have access to only 10 per cent of the tax base, but we are responsible for 40 per cent of the services people get.
“Making sure that we could have a balance from both the provincial government and the taxpayers has always been a challenge and it’s an ongoing work.”
Most recently, the RMA has been dealing with proposed changes to the assessment model for oil and gas, creating a lot of work and need for consultations, he said.
One area that remains unresolved is the issue of unpaid taxes by oil and gas companies, he said.
Serving as RMA president involved a great deal of travel, particularly to Edmonton, to meet with ministers and other government officials, as well as across the province to meet with municipal councils.
He thanked his fellow MVC councillors for covering some of his local workload during his times away.
“I do need to acknowledge that council has been fantastic that way. They’ve been great at helping me do my commitment with RMA by carrying more of the committee work. I think they saw the benefits of having me there,” he said.
He also said his family has been very helpful and understanding.
“They have been great in supporting me in that way,” he said.
Kemmere offered some advice for the next RMA president.
“I would say build relationships,” he said. “The role is to stand up for the RMA and to keep it at the table. You can have a strong opinion and your opinion is needed, but it’s how you deliver that opinion that keeps you at the table.”
Mountain View County reeve Bruce Beattie says Kemmere has done good work for both the county and municipalities across the province.
“If you look at the hours and days that he has spent on the road travelling the province, he has really put in his time as president,” said Beattie.
“He’s worked really hard. He’s developed great working relationships over the years with various provincial governments. Al has really been able to represent all (rural) municipalities in an apolitical way and I think that has been appreciated by everyone he has worked with.”
Although he plans to serve out his current term on county council, Kemmere says he might make it his last.
“I’m strongly considering this being my last term,” he said. “I’ve been there 16 year and at the end of the term it will be 17 years. I'm already looking to encourage people to run in Division 7. There are a lot of good minds out there that I would like to see come on in Division 7.”
