The Airdrie Chamber of Commerce’s State of the County luncheon gave local residents and business owners the opportunity to hear an update on Rocky View County’s (RVC) growth in 2016 and learn what the county has planned for the New Year.
“It’s always a pleasure to come out and talk about the good things that happen in RVC,” said Reeve Greg Boehlke. “We are very proud of our assessment split. County council and administration have worked very hard to create a community where people and business thrive.”
Currently, this assessment split is at 76 per cent residential and 24 per cent commercial – heading toward a very healthy balance, Boehlke said. According to Boehlke, the non-residential 24 per cent pays more than 50 per cent of the county’s municipal tax revenue, which he said keeps rates lower for residents.
By 2035, he added, RVC is hoping to achieve a split of 65 per cent residential and 35 per cent commercial, which he said will help the county continue to be a “strong and sustainable municipality.”
In 2016, RVC made strides in a number of areas, including agriculture, communications, and planning, as well as expanding its emergency management program. RVC also continues to provide more than $2 million in funding annually to recreation groups throughout the county and in adjacent municipalities, Boehlke said.
“You’ve maybe seen our logo on the side of the Zamboni or at centre ice (at Genesis Place), and this represents part of our ongoing commitment to recreation in Airdrie and our region,” Boehlke said. “RVC always takes a good-neighbour approach.”
However, Boehlke said he is concerned about the county’s government-mandated participation in the province’s new Growth Management Board, which will include the City of Airdrie and eight other Calgary-area municipalities.
“At the present time, we’re not fully aware of all the regulations, but we already disagree with the voting structure that gives a veto to one member,” Boehlke said. “Ratepayers should be fully aware that a non-elected board will be in charge of development in this region.”
Boehlke added RVC will work with its neighbours to ensure the hard work that has been done within the region will be maintained, and the growth and momentum will continue – even with a new council, which will be elected this fall.
“One of the final things we’ll be facing in 2017 will be a municipal election,” Boehlke said. “In this province, and in our way of life, we’re seeing a loss of common sense. We need to make sure that we see that common sense come back into government.”
