OLDS — During a council meeting, Coun. Darren Wilson asked Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills MLA Nathan Cooper to help solve an income funding gap for some seniors facilities.
He made that request as Cooper appeared before council during its April policies and priorities meeting.
Wilson noted that effective Jan. 1, the provincial government directed that eligible seniors living in lodges are to receive a $20 increase in the disposable income benefit, from $322 to $343 per month.
However, no funding was provided to cover that increase, Mountain View Seniors' Housing (MVSH) board chair and Olds councillor Heather Ryan said during an earlier council meeting.
As a result, she said, the board will have to search elsewhere in its budget for that money or possibly increase its requisitions to member municipalities to cover that cost.
Requisitions are contributions from member municipalities which include Carstairs, Didsbury, Olds, Sundre, Cremona and Mountain View County. Municipalities have no say in those amounts and must pay them as requested.
Wilson described that funding conundrum as one of several “pinch points” the Town of Olds has to deal with.
He noted that the MVSH requisition to the Town of Olds had already increased more than 17 per cent to deal with cost pressures.
Wilson urged Cooper not to forget about the needs of rural Alberta, despite the fact the upcoming provincial election is expected to be most fiercely fought in Calgary.
“As the election focus and battle seems to be moving to Calgary, don’t forget about us out here,” he said.
Cooper called Wilson’s request a “good reminder.”
“I do think that ensuring that I, on behalf of constituents, advocate to my colleagues, particularly in areas that impact municipalities are very important to me from a priority perspective,” Cooper said.
Cooper agreed with Wilson that Calgary will likely be the big battleground in the coming election but said nonetheless, he and his fellow United Conservative Party MLAs will continue to focus on the needs of his constituents.
“Whether it’s that work, the good work that's happening, or the taskforces on rural crime -- and all of those things do require resources -- and so I know from my perspective and as well as many of my other rural colleagues, we’ll continue to advocate,” he said.
