Dear editor:
Re: Rocky View County council’s new administration building decision.
On July 14, the majority of Rocky View County’s council voted in favour of proceeding with constructing a new office building to move the current location out of the city and into the county. The new location is approximately 1.5 miles east of CrossIron Mills Mall on a quarter section of land the county purchased in 2007 for that particular purpose. To date, the county has invested over $800,000 in a master site design, employee needs assessment and building conceptual drawings. This has not been a matter that has been rash nor taken lightly.
The driving force for this decision is the need for more space. Staff are spread across four locations: the existing building, trailers, rental space north of 64th Avenue and at the new site. The county has 38,000 residents, doubling since 1990. Already-approved plans continue the residential growth. Even with the best in technology and social media, more staff will be required to support these budding communities.
To subsidize tax revenues and keep property taxes among the lowest in Alberta requires industrial/commercial development, which historically uses far less government services but pays a higher tax rate. The county has approved the Balzac Commercial and Industrial Park for just that purpose; it is approximately the size of Red Deer. With the addition of the CN super-regional inter-modal park in Conrich, and the soon-to-be decided surrounding warehousing and industrial complex, that could be nearly doubled. But the county’s administration will still need to grow to service the needs of industrial/commercial taxpayers.
The building site received servicing when the fire hall was constructed there in 2009, so the new building requires only $32 million (provincial-municipal sustainability grant money) and $10 million of savings (known as the Tax Stabilization Account). For this money, residents receive a municipal government site that is efficient, modern, ready for the next stage of County growth, leverages off the new Stoney ring road, is actually in the county, provides much needed relief to a hard working staff of approximately 250 people and, for the patient people of Balzac, allows the co-location of the Balzac Community Centre to proceed.
Councillors have been debating this issue for years. Voting in favour of something that only indirectly provides benefit to residents takes political bravery and a conviction that the long-term needs outweigh the short-term financial commitment. It is unfortunate that council was not able to achieve a unanimous vote on the new municipal building for the county, but it is deeply regrettable that councillor Jerry Arshinoff chose to re-visit the decision in his letter to the editor to the Eagle. Once a decision has been made, council asks only that all councillors honour the process and support the decision.
Rocky View County councillors understood all of Arshinoff’s points, but in the larger scope, council as a whole made the tough decision for the broader benefit of the county.
We will continue to work together as new issues arise and will continue that work in the proper forum of council debate.
Reeve Margaret Bahcheli, on behalf of Rocky View County council
