A budget adjustment of $227,700 was approved unanimously at a Rocky View County (RVC) council meeting July 26, to cover costs associated with the negotiation of a new collective agreement between RVC administration and the Rocky View County Firefighters Association, after the previous agreement expired in June 2015.
“We’ve reached a point where both sides have agreed to what we need in the new agreement, which will expire at the end of 2017,” said RVC County Manager Kent Robinson.
“There was a wage increase in the new agreement in line with a lot of the other collective agreements in the province.”
The funding is required to finance this wage increase, agreed upon for 2015 and 2016. While a motion to approve the request was carried unanimously, Councillor Jerry Arshinoff did not agree with the negotiated increase.
“I will support the motion, and I mean no disrespect to the firefighters, but I don’t think anybody should be getting a raise under the current circumstances,” Arshinoff said.
“I know plenty of Rocky View residents who have kids and mortgages and no jobs.”
Another $400,000 adjustment was approved unanimously, directing administration to purchase two used fire apparatus to replace two pumper apparatus that have reached the end of their service life.
“I think taxpayers should really like this,” Reeve Greg Boehlke said.
“We are looking for the best way to replace these.”
A third budget adjustment was tabled to allow council further discussion at a workshop. The request was $260,000 to finance construction costs for the Langdon Joint Use site. This site, within the hamlet of Langdon, is jointly owned by Rocky View Schools (RVS) and RVC, and is slated to contain a future high school, a recreational facility and play fields – all to be constructed in phases.
“The budget adjustment requested at this time will cover RVC’s portion of the preliminary site development costs, which are to be shared equally with RVS,” said Gurbir Nijjar, with RVC engineering services. “The proposed scope of work provides preliminary access and servicing to the lands and supports the construction of the amenities identified for this site.”
Council will receive a report back on updates to the plan for this site before voting on the item when it returns to council after the workshop.
“If we agree now and just start spending money before we make formal agreements, that is a slippery slope,” said Councillor Lois Habberfield. “We just want more information before we go ahead.”
