Rocky View County (RVC) will apply for a portion of the $1.1 billion stimulus package the Alberta government recently unveiled in an effort to support municipalities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Premier Jason Kenney announced the funding at a July 28 press conference in Edmonton.
“The $1.1 billion includes $500 million that Alberta’s government has already committed in our recovery plan to get hundreds of shovel-ready infrastructure projects underway, and thousands of Albertans working on them,” Kenney said, adding the $500 million will boost municipal infrastructure funding by about 30 per cent and create roughly 2,500 project-specific jobs.
The other $600 million, he added, comes from the Alberta government’s new partnership with the federal government, known as the Safe Restart Agreement. According to Kenney, the funds will help municipalities maintain public services as they maneuver through the pandemic.
The Safe Restart Agreement, according to Kenney, will see the provincial government match $233 million in federal funding to support municipal operating costs and $70 million to support public transit operations.
As per the announcement, municipal governments and Métis settlements in Alberta can immediately start applying for funding to build roads, water and wastewater treatment plants, bridges and other infrastructure projects in 2020 or 2021.
According to Grant Kaiser, RVC’s executive director for Community and Business Connections, the County has submitted 22 shovel-ready projects to the provincial government with a total value of roughly $200 million.
“The projects represent initiatives throughout the county for roads, recreation, water, wastewater and flood mitigation,” he said, adding that at this time, RVC is not disclosing specific details on the projects.
If any of the projects are selected to move forward, Kaiser said more details will be provided.
At the July 28 press conference, Kenney acknowledged the stimulus package represents an “eye-popping” amount of taxpayer-funded money, and that the provincial deficit for this year is expected to come in at more than $20 billion. He said the provincial government predicts the unemployment rate is currently above 20 per cent in Alberta.
“Let’s remember that today’s deficits are tomorrow’s taxes,” he said. “As I’ve said before, all of this will lead to a great fiscal reckoning.
“But if we don’t get people back to work and if we don’t restore investor confidence and get our economy growing again, the fiscal challenge will become insurmountable.”
Alberta’s finance minister, Travis Toews, will provide a fiscal update for the province in late August, Kenney added.
Scott Strasser, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @scottstrasser19
