The City of Airdrie is slated to host mayors from 24 cities in Alberta on Oct 20 to 21 for the Mid-Sized Cities Mayor's Caucus (MCMC).
According to a City press release, the hot topic of discussion will be the new political landscape in the province and what types of challenges and opportunities will arise for the various communities moving forward.
MCMC representatives will gather to refine their collective priorities and identify opportunities to partner with Premier-designate Danielle Smith and her provincial government, the City's release stated.
"The mayors attending this caucus represent over 1 million Albertans," Airdrie Mayor Peter Brown said in the press statement.
"By collaborating on our advocacy efforts with key issues facing our high-growth municipalities, our voices are stronger at the Provincial table," he added.
Key issues to be addressed by Airdrie and other high-growth municipalities include capital funding, community safety and wellness, and ensuring health services and health-care practitioners are in place to meet the community's needs.
Mid-sized cities are urban municipalities with a population greater than 15,000 people. The caucus meets in the spring and fall each year, with the mayors meeting monthly on a virtual basis to address priority issues of mid-sized municipalities.
Last month, the City of Airdrie partnered with the MCMC to petition the Government of Alberta for appropriate provincial infrastructure commitments, following the Alberta Municipalities Convention on Sept. 22. There, the (MCMC) supported a resolution sponsored by the City of St. Albert and the City of Airdrie that calls on the provincial government to expand the funding pot for the Local Government Fiscal Framework (LGFF) in 2024.
The group is now petitioning the Alberta government to increase the size of the funding stream at a 1:1 ratio linked to provincial revenue.
“Historically, the provincial government has provided [funding] through the Municipal Sustainability Initiative, which will be converted to the LGFF in 2024 and be reduced in funding size by 25 per cent,” stated a joint press release issued by the MCMC.
According to Airdrie Mayor Peter Brown, the group of mid-size municipalities represents approximately one-quarter of the population of Alberta.
“Our group represents about a million Albertans, so it’s not like we’re small – we need to be heard,” Brown said in a recent interview. “We’re taking our message to the public and we want everyone to be aware of it.”
