municipal taxes?

[cowman]

coppertop: It is especially annoying when you see how far some co-operation could go to growing the whole community instead of this continual bickering that costs everybody? It is really funny that these same old "business men families" are the same crooks...from 50 years ago! ...I guess the acorn doesn't fall too far from the oak?
For several years it looked like Gail Surkan(former mayor) was really making progress and working with the county, and then we get Flewelling....and what can you say? The guy is an idiot!

[wilagro]

cowman: I see that things haven't changed much since I left Red Deer twenty years ago. They had a bunch of old fogeys running things then as now I am afraid.

New businesses had to be "approved" by the status quo boys before they set foot in Red Deer.

Regarding the present mayor of Red Deer...he hasn't changed much in his attitude of self-righteousness.

[cakadu]

I will put the question out there then, should the county be putting all of it's eggs into one basket or looking for other ways to ensure that it can continue to grow and to prosper. It is also relying very heavily on the oil and gas revenue, which is something that the province as a whole is looking at.

The water for "Gasoline Alley" comes from Red Deer. What has the county done in terms of looking for other water sources, or is Red Deer just to continue to supply the water no matter what the growth is?

The problem with long term councillors is that these long-standing problems exacerbate and continue on over the years. I make absolutely no bones about the fact that some of the councillors need to go into retirement. After 20 years on the municipal scene it is essential that new blood comes on board.

I am not justifying the position of either side, but there are many, many issues that have to be looked at in tandem and not in isolation.

It would also seem to me to be naive to think that some of these same things do not go on within the county's borders as well. Look at the subdivision issue and/or the development permit issue. Some folks seem to get theirs quite easily while others couldn't do enough to get the permission they are seeking.

One other point I would like to make is that with all this oil and gas activity happening in the county, many are seeing any kind of development potential go out the proverbial window as pipelines, lease sites, compressor stations and more limit what can take place. But we can't stop progress, right?

[coppertop]

Linda, at the Land Use Policy Framework discussions last week there was pointed discussion on the way pipelines etc. sterilize development for some.

As far as water supplied to county residents and businesses from the city of Red Deer, they are making a good buck on the sale of water plus all costs to install water infrastructure are borne either by the developer or the county. Anytime the city feels that supplying water to another jurisdiction puts the supply to their own users in jeopardy they can refuse to do so.

[cowman]

Linda: This last summer the county started to run a pipeline into gasoline alley from the pumping station at Springbrook? The intention is by next year to disconnect from all city water. The intent is to eventually build a pipeline from the Athony Henday water treatment plant to provide water to all the business parks and subdivisions west of the city and in fact to Sylvan lake?
Also last summer the county drilled another well to supply the Clearview Industrial park...because the city was threatening to break the agreement to supply water? 100 gallons/a minute!
I wonder what opportunities you see that might replace the revenue from goasoline alley or the industrial parks? The tax revenue from the industrial parks/gasoline alley is providing about 65% of all county revenue!
Now I know he's not your favorite person...but Greg Johnson told me that if Red Deer county can grow how they planned it....there should be no need for residential or farmland taxes within ten years! Now I take that with a grain of salt, but consider what the costs and tax base would be if Red Deer annexs both gasoline alley/industrial parks....and make no doubt the industrial parks are on the hit list, Pimm, Wong, Dawson and Flewelling made that very clear in interviews in the Advocate yesterday?
Would you want your land taxes to triple to maintain the same level of servic? Or would you rather have the service deteriorate further?
Someone has to pay the bills, one way or the other?
If this annexation is allowed why would the county even try to develop anything? So the city could take that too?
Do you ever wonder why the county had no problem with letting Innisfail, Delburne, Sylvan Lake and even Bowden(after a wee spat about crossing the highway) but continually has problems with Red Deer? Why even bother having a intermunicipal developement plan...if one party who signed it reneges on the deal? And yes, both Dawson and Pimm signed that deal and now they don't want to honor it? How do you deal with liars like that? Would you consider these honorable men?

[coppertop]

It will be very interesting to see whether there will be some resolution to the ongoing conflict prior to the municipal election next October. I would imagine there will be some new faces on both sides, so possibly a new dynamic will evolve.

[cowman]

coppertop: And also some interesting political opportunities? Whoever wraps himself in the biggest "municipal flag" sure can stir up the heat!
Not sure if that is a good thing as it might deflect from all their other faults?
Politics is quite a game!

[cowman]

We get a local weekly that is a really good paper. They have a reporter(Johnny Bakusky) who is pretty good! His editorial this week is a good one! He points out that he said this whole thing was going to happen...and has quotes from a whole bunch of councillors accusing him of fearmongering and making up stories and lying about their intentions!
He pointed out very clearly...just who were the liars! A really good editorial!
It is really funny how this paper has one view, while the local daily(Red Deer Advocate) has a totally different view? The Red Deer Advocate is about as left leaning socialist as you can get...why they even make the Edmonton Journal look like a Conservative rag!
The editorial yesterday in the Advocate was one long rip of Ed Stelmach and his cabinet! They basically called him a dumb hick Ukrainian farmer with a bunch of dumb hick bagmen around him! Then they whined and snivelled how Red Deer never got a cabinet minister and a few quotes from that idiot Flewelling about how this government was ignoring the urban centers!

[coppertop]

And all this complaining before the new Premier has even led a session in the legislature, and before anyone knows what is in the 2007 budget !!!!

Red Deer is joining Calgary and Edmonton on the whiners chorus ! I am very pleased to see so many rural cabinet members, and many of them come from small urban centers, NOT out on the farm anyhow. Lloyd Snellgrove was a councillor in the Town of Vermillion, hardly a country hick.
Iris Evans is from Strathcona County which isn't your average small back woods rural area !!

Maybe the people in Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer will take a long look at the people they have elected to municipal council positions, and decide to make some changes at home. My bet is that if Mark Norris decides to run for Mayor of Edmonton, Mandel will be out on his rear.

[cowman]

Like I said before "The boss has to be the boss"! This is the guy we have and no matter what...he is our... go to guy!
I believe Ed Stelmach will do what he believes is right and I doubt he is petty enough to favor one area over another? Yep, the cities have problems, and yep the rural areas do too!
Come on, this guy didn't get where he is by being some sort of retard? He knows what he has to do to keep ALL of Alberta happy?
We may have all had our favorite...but the fact is this: This is our premier...and we need to get behind him and support him? It is really disgusting that the cities are playing this silly game? Just my opinion.