A town of St. Paul councillor has criticized the proposed membership fees for the Alberta Bilingual Municipal Association, calling them unfair to smaller municipalities.
ABMA which promotes bilingualism as a tool for municipal economic development currently has 19 member municipalities, including multiple in the Lakeland area.
During the March 24 council meeting, a letter from ABMA was discussed, outlining a new fee structure. The proposed fees range from $150 for villages to $1,000 for cities and counties. Towns with population over 2,000, like St. Paul would pay $700, while larger municipalities would pay $1,100.
“We are confident that, with your support, we can enhance the value of our association and strengthen our collective impact. These contributions will help us expand our initiatives, provide more resources to our members, and advocate effectively for the needs for bilingual communities across Alberta,” reads the AMBA letter written by Chair Elisa Brosseau.
Councillor Nathan Taylor expressed frustration, arguing that smaller municipalities are being asked to contribute a higher percentage of their budgets compared to larger ones. “I think it drastically weighs in the benefit of large-scale municipalities that have the tax revenue to put money towards to association,” he said. “I’m fine with paying the $700, but I think that Grand Prairie paying $1,100 is an insult to the association.”
Councillor Ron Boisvert, who also serves on ABMA’s board, acknowledged that not all members agree with the fees, but said discussions are ongoing. Mayor Maureen Miller agreed that adjustments may be needed but noted the ABMA’s past contributions to the town, such as translating tourism documents into French.
Despite concerns, council ultimately voted to include the $700 membership fee in its budget.
