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Council keeps eye on premier’s riding
Chris Clegg
for South Peace News
It’s official!
The Alberta government is dissolving the Village of Kinuso effective Sept. 1, when they will become a hamlet and part of the M.D. of Big Lakes.
The ministerial order from Alberta Municipal Affairs Minister Ray Danyluk came just before the M.D. of Big Lakes council meeting July 22.
Details of the transition still have to be completed. It is expected but not confirmed that the M.D.’s current Kinuso Councillor, Ken Killen, will represent the hamlet until the 2010 municipal election.
The news did not come as a surprise to the M.D. but they were interested in a July 13 letter from Danyluk regarding the Municipal Restructuring Grant they were promised when dissolution talks began.
“The grant was ad hoc in nature, and had only limited funding associated with it,” wrote Danyluk.
The grant was introduced in 1994 to provide support for municipalities absorbing a smaller municipality, such as Big Lakes is doing with Kinuso.
“This year, in response to the challenging economic and budgetary circumstances, we were required to identify spending reductions within the ministry budget,” wrote Danyluk. “A number of difficult decisions needed to be made, and unfortunately, the restructuring grant could no longer be maintained.”
Danyluk added there were other financial avenues the M.D. could pursue.
That is little consolation to the M.D., however, who was led to believe they would receive up to $1.7 million in transitional grants.
Council’s stand taken at their May 27 meeting has not changed. At the meeting, Prairie Echo, Salt Prairie Councilor David Marx suggested telling Municipal Affairs they were “no longer interested” in assuming Kinuso’s affairs if the money wasn’t coming.
“No money; we don’t want them either,” said Joussard Councillor Guy L’Heureux.
However, there is nothing council can do except to keep an eye on the Village of Chipman in Lamont County. Both are located in Premier Ed Stelmach’s riding so council is watching to see if Lamont receives any money. At this point, Big Lakes just wants to be treated the same.
Kinuso residents voted over 80 per cent in favour of dissolution after going to the polls May 26 and voting 61-13.
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