RMA has created a new web hub to host two recently released reports which explain the unique nature of Alberta’s rural municipalities
Rural municipalities are crucially important to Alberta’s economic development and provide vital infrastructure and services to those living outside urban areas. In Alberta, rural municipalities cover approximately 85% of the province’s land, and face unique challenges in providing infrastructure and services to industries and residents spread across very large areas.
Despite this uniqueness, rural municipalities are often compared unfavourably to other municipalities in Alberta and elsewhere in Canada in terms of their fiscal performance. These comparisons are often based on inaccurate or misleading indicators. They also do not account for the differences among municipalities in areas such as size, scope of responsibility, level of federal and provincial support, economic activity, and many other factors.
Last week, RMA released Alberta’s Rural Municipalities: Unique Size, Unique Responsibilities, a report that highlights the limitations of interprovincial comparisons and emphasizes why rural municipalities are unique both within Alberta and across Canada. Building on this, RMA is excited to announce the launch of a new web hub, RMA Members Are Unique. This hub hosts the previously released report, along with a new report, The MacKinnon Report: Many Questions, Few Answers. This new report aims to counter arguments made in the MacKinnon Report related to per capita metrics. As RMA members are well aware, a small population does not limit the need for infrastructure to access Alberta’s natural resources and agriculture. Finally, a new position statement on Interprovincial Comparisons provides members and the public with quick information on RMA’s perspectives. RMA will continue to update the hub as new resources on rural Alberta’s uniqueness are developed.
RMA members are encouraged to read and share the member resources and use them for local advocacy efforts.
Warren Noga
Policy Advisor
780.955.4079
warren@RMAlberta.com
Wyatt Skovron
Manager of Policy & Advocacy
780.955.4096
wyatt@RMAlberta.com