On Jan. 1, 2015 Chestermere will be on track to become Alberta’s 18th city after council voted 6-1 in favour of the town of approximately 17,000 people to become a city.
“It is very exciting to see the next step in Chestermere’s future and to see the possibilities it brings,” Mayor Patricia Matthews said.
“City status is extremely exciting for Chestermere and it is another tool to secure a sustainable future for Chestermere,” added Deputy Mayor Christopher Steeves.
Approximately 55 people were in attendance, according to the Town’s Communications Co-ordinator Megan Matthies.
Stu Hutchison was the only councillor to be opposed to the motion at the Sept. 29 special meeting.
“I don’t think it’s necessary to become a city in my opinion,” said Hutchison.
Businesses that are searching for an area to establish themselves are looking for what the municipality has to offer, he explained.
“It would include major transportation routes, which we have with Highway 1A – Chestermere Boulevard, 50th Avenue, Glenmore Trail and we have the CN Rail line in town already,” he said. “We have water and we have sewer, so I don’t know what else we could offer them just because we are a city.”
Hutchison said, “If it passes (at the provincial level) and we are going to be a city I am up to do everything that I can to ensure it works for us.”
According to the town, being a city is an administrative change in title and any future tax increase would not be a direct result of a title change.
The Town received public feedback at more than 10 information sessions held during August and September.
“We had a few people that weren’t supportive of the idea, a few people that were neutral on it and the vast majority was ready to get going,” Matthews said.
She said much of the concern at the start stemmed from concerns about taxes going up and if the community would face problems associated with a big city like increases in service fees.
“When I wake up the day after we become a city. What is going to change?” she said of questions asked by residents. “Our response to that was ‘we’re looking (at options) so that we can offer more amenities and more services with the same taxes, by bringing in industry and commercial facilities.’”
Town staff heard from residents who wanted to keep the unique feel of the community, according to Matthews.
“We know going forward regardless of whether we are a town or a city (it’s the) great residents (who) are going to create a fantastic community in the future,” she said.
Alberta Municipal Affairs states a town is able to change their status to a city once they meet the 10,000 threshold, which Chestermere did in 2007.
“We didn’t move to city status in 2007 because we weren’t ready,” Matthews said.
The Town is now preparing to send an application to the Minister of Municipal Affairs. The minister may ask for more public consultation and will make a recommendation to the Lieutenant Governor, after which the town will become a city.
According to Statistics Canada, Chestermere’s population growth from 2006 to 2011 was 49 per cent, the fifth highest population growth in Canada.
For more information call 403-207-7050 or visit chestermere.ca.
