The mayor says the provincial oversight bill is not in Calgary's best interest

Calgary's mayor says proposed legislation that would allow the province to oversee municipal-federal agreements would delay funding and, if passed, would increase costs and uncertainty for municipalities across the province.

Speaking at a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Mayor Jyoti Gondek said the legislation is “designed to inhibit the ability of Calgarians to return their hard-earned taxes back to their communities.”

“Now the cities have the ear of the feds and they've created funding streams that allow us to build more homes, fix broken roads and make sure your drinking water is safe, the provincial government, the same thing. The provincial government, which wants to cut red tape and run at the speed of business, now wants to eliminate red tape and slow things down to the speed of bureaucracy.”

The Provincial Priorities Act was tabled in the legislature by Premier Daniel Smith on Wednesday. It was created as a move to prevent federal interference in the Alberta government's priorities.

If passed, the new law would require any agreement between the federal government and an Alberta city, school board, university or other provincial institution to first be reviewed by the provincial government.

Gondek said that while many questions remain unanswered about the new bill, such as how it will be enacted and how long it will take to review federal-municipal agreements, he has been informed that additional resources will not be allocated to manage the work flow. .

He said that as the provincial government works through these reviews, “other cities will get what is rightfully ours. It's not something I'm going to allow.''

Gondek also pointed to the uncertainty surrounding the new legislation for municipalities, questioning whether concerns about ideological differences between the party and the federal government, which the province calls Premier Danielle Smith, could affect what agreements are approved.

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“If the provincial government prioritizes the things that are important to our residents, it could be an easier process, but I don't know how they feel about those priorities.”

Calgary funding is a priority

He said Calgary deserves its fair share of federal funding because it's one of the fastest-growing cities in the country and the “absolute economic engine” of the province.

Gondek said securing funding from the federal government is not an easy task and called on that level of government to step up support for municipalities as well.

“I think it has more to do with the relationship between the federal and provincial governments than anything else. I think it's a comfortable point to say we're not going to get a fair deal. I think it's just as comfortable to fly to the capital. It's going to be a nosedive at central, local and provincial government. knock and make an announcement,” he said.

“I don't think that's good behavior for anyone. Like I said yesterday, mom and dad are fighting and the kids are stuck in the middle, and I'm so sick of it. Both of them have to figure out how to act. Put ideological differences aside and work together. do it.”

Speaking to CBC News on Tuesday, before the new legislation was announced, Coun. Dan McLean said he had no problem with the bill.

“What I've heard from the province is that they feel the federal government is playing favorites with mayors and councils that are friendly to them,” McLean said.

“I don't think it should be like that, I think they should be fair to everyone.”

Laurie Williams, a political scientist at Mount Royal University, said the law would hamper funding for municipalities across the province.

“This is an attempt to take control away from municipalities and put it in the hands of the provincial government,” Williams said.

“I think it disrespects the democratic will of the people who vote for municipal governments. Municipalities only have property taxes and what they get from the federal and provincial governments to manage their budgets, and that further hinders municipalities from getting contracts and much-needed funds for the unique needs of each of those municipalities.” .