City hopes MSI continues
FUTURE PROJECTS DEPEND ON PROVINCIAL FUNDING, MAYOR SAYS IN STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS
Lethbridge can afford neither a performing arts centre nor a trade and convention centre — if the provincial government cancels its stabilization grants to cities and towns.
That was the blunt warning from Mayor Chris Spearman, during his annual “State of the City” address to the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce.
The city and county also need funds to upgrade Lethbridge Airport, he said, or we run the risk of losing Air Canada flights as well as the new service planned by WestJet.
With Provincial Treasurer Joe Ceci scheduled to visit Lethbridge early next month, the mayor called for a strong message from business and civic leaders as Ceci prepares the next provincial budget.
“We need to turn the Lethbridge Airport into an asset, not a liability,” Spearman said.
Both Medicine Hat and Red Deer have received grants to upgrade their facilities, he pointed out.
The WestJet announcement came as “incredibly positive news,” the mayor said, but the airport’s present facilities are inadequate and must be upgraded.
Spearman said Lethbridge-area travellers must make a point of using the soon-competitive services if they hope to keep them, instead of driving to Calgary.
For local businesses, he said, loss of passenger service would prove “a significant challenge for this city.”
So would cancellation of the province’s Municipal Stabilization Initiative, which has allowed Lethbridge to keep up with infrastructure demands while also building a $110-million leisure centre.
Council has allotted funds to plan another two long-awaited projects, Spearman said — a larger performing arts centre downtown as well as a trade and convention centre at Exhibition Park.
“But we don’t have the money,” and won’t be able to proceed unless the provincial government continues to support cities and towns through the MSI program.
Reflecting on last year’s highlights, Spearman cited the royal visit to the Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden, the trade mission to China and the support — both provincial and federal — for a safe consumption site in response to southern Alberta’s opioid fatalities.
“It will save lives,” he said, and will also promote a safer downtown area for everyone.
A council-to-council meeting with the Kainai chief and council was another landmark, he said, and so was raising the Blackfoot Confederacy flag and then a reconciliation banner at city hall.
Lethbridge was also one of the first cities to respond to the national Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s report, he added. Council has now adopted a 10-year plan of reconciliation, as drafted by a Lethbridge citizens’ panel.
“It’s about fairness and equal access,” he said, and there is still much to be done to reduce racial discrimination.
Challenges for the coming year, Spearman said, include interviewing and selecting a new City manager this spring. Council must also create a strategic plan for the next four years, consider the new Transit Master Plan and start work on a fouryear operating budget.
Ongoing efforts through Economic Development Lethbridge are expected to bring more agribusiness investments to the city, he said, although Calgary is now competing strongly for those industries as well. And with a new approach to promoting tourism, the mayor urged local entrepreneurs to develop visitor attractions to complement those already here — all in the public sector.
Responding to concerns about taxation, Spearman said Lethbridge property taxes are close to the Alberta average, but homeowners could pay less as the city continues to attract more businesses. While taxes on business properties bring in about 19 per cent of the City’s tax revenue, he said most other cities are closer to 25 per cent.
And although the college, university and medical facilities are an integral part of the city, Spearman said they pay no property taxes. Neither do seniors’ lodges.
The mayor told another questioner the City needs more information before deciding where recreational marijuana stores will be located, along with other legalization issues.
“We wish it had been planned out a little longer.”
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