Annexation's an option when it comes to future talks between Sturgeon County and Edmonton, says the county's mayor, but revenue sharing? That's off the table.
Coun. Ed Gibbons, Edmonton's rep on the Capital Region Board (along with Mayor Don Iveson), threw down the gauntlet last week to say that his city would "go for the gusto" this term by seeking land and cash from its neighbours – including Sturgeon County.
Edmonton needs land to grow, Gibbons told the Gazette, and shouldn't be boxed in by its neighbours. While Calgary had done 16 annexations in the last 30 years, Edmonton has done just one, and that was to build the Cloverbar dump. "We haven't had any major expansions," he said, and there were only so many spots where they could densify.
While the city's main focus was on annexing the land around the Edmonton International Airport (part of a plan to develop it into an industrial hub), Gibbons said that Edmonton would seek annexations in all directions, including north to Sturgeon County.
"We don't want St. Albert," he said, "We don't want Sherwood Park. We want to be able to build on raw land."
Gibbons also called on the county to share the revenue it stood to gain from the North West upgrader.
County officials have said that the upgrader could add $14 to $16 million to the county's tax coffers a year once operational.
The people who work at that upgrader will live in urban centres like Morinville and Edmonton, Gibbons said, but the big industrial tax dollars brought by the upgrader will go to Sturgeon County – Edmonton gets the smaller residential dollars.
That's an inequitable arrangement that could be solved with revenue sharing, Gibbons said. "Why don't Morinville, Gibbons, Redwater and Bon Accord get some revenue shared out of that money that comes into Sturgeon from having the North West upgrader?"
He said he didn't have any specific ideas on how the upgrader cash could be shared, and was simply "throwing out a gauntlet" to start the conversation. "Why don't we look at revenue sharing?"
Flynn: land yes, money no
Sturgeon County Mayor Tom Flynn said he wasn't surprised by Gibbons's remarks. "Edmonton is throwing out the gauntlet a little bit."
Edmonton hasn't said what bits of the county it wanted, Flynn said, so he's not sure if county council would support an annexation or not. "If they feel they have the need for some more lands and whatnot, there are areas we can discuss."
But sharing cash from the upgrader was a no-go, he said.
"We have well over $100 million of infrastructure that we need in the county that we've been delaying because of some of this industrial growth," Flynn said, and the upgrader was meant to pay for it.
Edmonton should ask the province for help if it wants more cash, Flynn said. "We have far too many things we need to do with any future revenue to even think about losing any of it."
Flynn did say that he might be open to a smaller, more focused funding deal in an area like recreation. The county provided about $2.9 million to Bon Accord, Gibbons, Legal, Morinville and Redwater in the last five years to support shared recreational facilities and programs, for example.
Gibbons' remarks could make for smoother sailing at the CRB, Flynn said, as it lays the city's agenda out for all to see. But it would be inappropriate if Edmonton were to use this agenda to guide its vote at the board – a vote that acts as a de-facto veto due to the board's structure.
"If (Edmonton) were saying, 'No, (and) we're going to do that until we get some money from you,'" Flynn said, "well, that's not the right process." He was unsure how Edmonton's new agenda would affect the passage of the county's municipal development plan set to reach the board next year.
Gibbons acknowledged that his ideas might prove controversial. "To get people talking, sometimes you have to light that fuse on that powder keg."
Revenue sharing could turn the capital region into a place of haves instead of haves and have-nots, Gibbons said. "We need to be able to work (together) and be smarter about how we want our capital region to grow."
The CRB next meets on Nov. 14.
