Concern over Bill 28's proposed changes to viability review
Gibbons town council is raising a red flag about proposed changes to the viability review process laid out in the Alberta government's Bill 28. At the end of a municipal viability review, residents currently vote on whether to remain a municipality or to dissolve into the surrounding county. If the bill passes, the vote would become a non-binding plebiscite, and cabinet would make the final decision on the municipality's future. "Making votes non-binding allows cabinet to consider community input alongside sustainability and regional impacts," reads a provincial document about the proposed changes.
Gibbons started its viability review process in February after the incoming council learned the extent of the financial issues the town was facing. Changing the vote when the town is partway through the process "raises significant concerns regarding fairness and process integrity," wrote Gibbons council in an open letter to Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams. The change risks undermining the value of the work that has been put in so far and diminishes the role of residents in shaping the future of their municipality, the letter said. It also raises broader issues with how municipalities engage in provincial processes if key elements can change midstream, council said. The Ministry of Municipal Affairs did not respond to Taproot's request for comment on the matter by press time.
Council ended the letter with a request to meet with the minister to discuss the bill and potentially pausing its viability process. Other changes included in Bill 28 have garnered opposition from public library boards and from the president of Alberta Municipalities.
