Using St. Albert and Alberta budget documents along with party platforms and information from the parties themselves the Gazette calculated what each party's platform, as presented during this election campaign, would be worth to the City of St. Albert's coffers. The city received $16.1 million in funding this budget year.
Many of the parties' programs would grow substantially in subsequent years, but the following calculations are based only on what they would provide in 2012-2013 budget year. Many of the parties also have proposed grant programs that municipalities would have to apply to and those are not included in the total.
Progressive Conservatives: Total $16.1 million
The Progressive Conservative platform on municipalities is so far an extension of their budget, which pledged three-year guaranteed funding for municipalities. The provincial government gives the city a basic capital grant of $3.6 million and a large capital grant through the municipal sustainability initiative of $12.5 million. The province has also provided funding for Ray Gibbon Drive and the city has applied, but so far not received, funding for a park-and-ride lot through the government's GreenTRIP Program.
Wildrose: Total $27.8 million
The Wildrose proposal for municipalities is their 10-10 plan. The current provincial grant programs for capital projects would disappear and in their place the Wildrose would transfer 10 per cent of all provincial tax revenues directly to municipalities. They would also transfer 10 per cent of all cash surpluses to municipalities.
The party's alternate budget produced earlier this year projects only a very modest surplus, that would lead to a very small amount of money, but they project provincial surpluses would grow. The party says the money would be allocated to individual municipalities largely on a per person basis, but are open to discussing the formula with municipalities. While the plan would give St. Albert more money directly it would close several grant programs the city has applied to.
Liberals: Total $20.9 million
The Liberal plan announced just this week would see the creation of a municipal heritage fund. They would add $1.5 billion to the fund each year and interest would be paid to municipalities.
As the fund and the interest payments grew, the payout would rise significantly. In the first year it would give St. Albert $953,124, rising to $4.7 million by year five. The Grits are also proposing a green transportation fund, covered from a carbon levy imposed on industry. In the first year of that program the city would get $3,812,500, rising to $15 million by year four. The party would also dole out grants to local community leagues that could easily add up to hundreds of thousands for local neighbourhood associations. All of this would come on top of existing grant programs.
New Democrats: Total $16.1 million
The NDP's platform for municipalities includes two new funds on top of the grants already flowing to municipalities. One would be a $100 million per year top up to the province's GreenTRIP program and the other would be a $50 million community-beginning fund, for local community projects.
Both programs would be application based, allowing municipalities to apply for projects in their communities. The NDP has said they would review the existing grants programs the province offers to municipalities, but has no immediate plans to change them.
Alberta Party: Total $16.1 million
With the party not running enough candidates to form government, the Alberta Party's municipal platform doesn't indicate what grants would and would not continue.
Party leader Glenn Taylor said his party would have a discussion with municipalities about a new relationship that would recognize them as equals. He said an Alberta Party government would stop collecting education taxes through property taxes allowing municipalities to move into that tax room. That would allow St. Albert to increase its share of property taxes, without increasing overall property taxes.
