WHEREAS the Federal and Provincial governments provided the Infrastructure Canada Alberta Program (ICAP) from 2000 to 2005, which included a Local Government entitlement guaranteeing per capita funding to all municipalities;AND WHEREAS under the ICAP program, Canada and Alberta agreed that local governments knew the infrastructure needs that would contribute most to the quality of life in their communities and provided a funding formula that would allow for local autonomy;AND WHEREAS the Federal and Provincial governments initiated the Canada Alberta Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (CAMRIF) in 2006 which provides a funding arrangement of 1/3 Federal, 1/3 Provincial, 1/3 Municipal, with funding targets of 20 per cent to Calgary/Edmonton, and 80 per cent to all others under a population of 250,000.AND WHEREAS it is believed that there may be several municipalities in rural Alberta that will be at a disadvantage under the existing guidelines of the CAMRIF program;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties urge the Government of Alberta and Canada to amend the funding targets for the Canada Alberta Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund to provide a distribution formula based on per capita, similar to that of the former Infrastructure Canada Alberta Program to ensure funding availability to all municipalities throughout the province to meet the needs of the infrastructure deficit.

The Infrastructure Canada Alberta Program, a six-year program commencing in December 2000, provided a guaranteed per capita funding to municipalities based on official population figures, with a 1/3 share required from the local government. Municipalities were provided the opportunity to identify the needs within their communities.The funding formula provides for a Local Government Entitlement and Special Project Funding. A minimum of 26 per cent of the total approved costs for all projects in Alberta were for rural municipalities.The Canada Alberta Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund was implemented in 2005 and provides 1/3 Federal, 1/3 Provincial, 1/3 Municipal, for project costs over initial budget covered 100 per cent by municipality with 20 per cent to Calgary/Edmonton and 80 per cent to all others. CAMRIF applications for funding are determined on a competitive basis, and the guidelines do not provide a guaranteed amount to each municipality.Based on the CAMRIF guidelines it is believed that there may be several municipalities in rural Alberta that will be at a disadvantage due to size, location or infrastructure requirements that will make it difficult to meet the criteria and competitive nature of funding approvals.The County of Wetaskiwin recommends that the criteria for the Canada Alberta Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund be changed to a format similar to that of the Infrastructure Canada Alberta Program to ensure funding availability to all municipalities throughout the province to meet the needs of the infrastructure deficit.

The AAMDC has no resolutions currently in effect with respect to this issue.