WHEREAS Alberta’s transportation network and infrastructure (roads and bridges) are in constant need of maintenance and improvement; AND WHEREAS the amount of resources available to Alberta Transportation in terms of the overall provincial budget has fluctuated over the past 18 year from a high of 7.6% to a low of 3.9%; AND WHEREAS education and health have increased their budgets from 42.6% of the total provincial budget in 1985/86 to 61% of the total provincial budget in 2002/03;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties urge the Government of Alberta to:1. Adjust the Alberta Transportation budget to reflect the same increases given to Alberta Learning and Alberta Health over the past 18 years; and2. If Alberta Learning and/or Alberta Health receive an upward adjustment, that Alberta Transportation be treated the same.
The attached Table 1 (Historical Summary of Expenditures) provides a historical summary of expenditures from 1985/86 to 2002/03 (18 years) for education, health, transportation and the entire Government of Alberta.If one were to extrapolate from the data what has occurred from 85/86 to 02/03 this is what it would show: 85/86 ($ millions) 02/03($ millions) % increase (decrease) Health 2,961 6,891 132.7% Learning 2,958 5,436 83.8% Transportation 879 796 9.4% Government of Alberta 13,873 20,216 45.7% Alberta Health has increased its expenditures by $3.93 billion. Alberta Learning has increased its expenditures by $2.48 billion. Alberta Transportation has decreased its expenditures by $83 million. The Government of Alberta has increased its overall expenditures by $6.34 billion.Interestingly, while the provincial budget increased $6.34 billion over the past 18 years, health and learning budgets collectively increased $6.40 billion which is more than the entire provincial budget increase. Health and learning now consume 61 cents of every dollar spent by the province. Had Alberta Transportation received a 132.7% increase like Alberta Health, their budget would now be $2.05 billion. Or had Alberta Transportation received an 83.8% increase like Alberta Learning, their budget would now be $1.62 billion.
The AAMDC has no resolutions currently in effect with respect to this issue.