Major changes are coming to a regional planning board that rural members say favours urban-style development.
The Alberta government recently announced that, starting next year, it will not provide funding for the Calgary or Edmonton Metropolitan Region Boards and will make membership on the boards voluntary.
Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver said in a statement that both boards have been informed of the changes.
The province contributes about $1 million per year to the board in Calgary.
Calgary Metropolitan Region Board (CMRB) members include Okotoks, Foothills County and High River. A representative from Foothills County was not immediately available to comment on the coming changes to the regional board, or about whether it plans to stay on as a member.
Foothills County has long been opposed to its membership on the board. Reeve Delilah Miller previously said that the board favours urban over rural members.
The Town of Okotoks said in a statement that the full implications of the changes aren't known, but that the Town sees value in regional planning and wants to be a strong regional steward.
Speaking at a committee meeting on Nov. 25, High River Mayor Craig Snodgrass said nobody knew the changes were coming.
“My concern is how the government made this decision,” Snodgrass said. “Nobody else was consulted on it.”
Other CMRB members are Calgary, Airdrie, Chestermere, Cochrane and Rocky View County.
In 2021, the rural municipalities of Foothills County, Rocky View County and Wheatland County voted against the CMRB growth plan, but the plan passed with votes from the board's urban members. Wheatland County later cut ties with the board.
In Foothills County, plans for a major residential development, Highfield & Rowland Acres, were set to go to the CMRB, where it would either be approved or rejected.
The County also recently started work to review its Municipal Development Plan to align with CMRB policies, with a deadline of August 2025.
There is no word on how the changes will affect either of those projects.
