Bonnyville Mayor Ernie Isley says the town “got totally shafted” during the process to determine tax reassessment of the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range (CLAWR).
And Isley let Lloyd Snelgrove, Alberta's Minister of Finance and Enterprise, know just how upset he and Town council are with the entire process during a meeting with Snelgrove last Tuesday, just hours before the minister signed a Memorandum of Understanding announcing the City of Cold Lake would be receiving millions in tax revenue from the CLAWR.
The memorandum, also signed by Minister of Municipal Affairs Hector Goudreau, outlines the agreement between the province, the City, Lac La Biche County, the MD of Bonnyville, and the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, redistributing tax revenue amongst those municipalities.
There were no representatives from the Town at the ceremony to witness the signing, nor will the Town be receiving any of the redistributed revenue.
Isley and Snelgrove planned the meeting when Snelgrove attended the last Town council meeting on Sept. 13. MD of Bonnyville Reeve Ed Rondeau was also in attendance.
Isley presented Snelgrove with two documents at that meeting, one listing “incorrect facts” that, in Isley's opinion, Snelgrove had based his decisions regarding the tax reassessment on.
The other listed alternative solutions for the funding distribution.
The facts that Isley maintained were incorrect stemmed from Snelgrove's argument before Town council insisting the province had to step in to support the City of Cold Lake because of 4 Wing, stating the base was unable to expand due to Cold Lake's financial difficulties and inability to expand building, sewer, or water infrastructure.
Isley informed the minister 4 Wing has a separate planning department and does not need to apply to the City for permits.
The military base currently has unused water transmission capacity because the population on the base is 40 per cent of what it was in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Isley added.
The base also relies on a separate sewer system, and none of 4 Wing's sewage ends up in the Cold Lake lagoon, he said.
Isley went further, stating the federal government has contributed $146.6 million to the base since 2006, as well as giving the City $4,276,903.71 every year in lieu of taxes. Of these funds the City gives approximately $150,000 back to the base in return for use of base recreational facilities.
After explaining the contents of the documents he had presented to Snelgrove, Isley said it fell on deaf ears.
“That did not seem to sway the minister,” Isley said. “His mind was made up. The agreement was already prepared and he was not going to change it. He wasn't sure he agreed with my facts.”
He offered a number of other ways in which the funds could be divided up.
They included:
• A similar formula like the one currently used in the Regional Community Development Agreement, or a per capita distribution formula.
• Completing the regional waterline from Cold Lake to Bonnyville and Glendon at no cost to the taxpayers.
• Resolving the water issues some other way without additional costs to Bonnyville taxpayers.
• Providing 90/10 funding for seniors housing in Bonnyville.
Snelgrove was reportedly unmoved by either Isley's facts or his suggestions.
Isley added the resolution of the CLAWR tax reassessment only reinforces his previous comments about the provincial government retaliating against the Town of Bonnyville for Isley's personal politics.
Isley served in the Alberta Legislature for the Progressive Conservative party in the 1980s and early 90s, holding the position of Minister of Public Works and Minister of Agriculture before becoming mayor of Bonnyville. He switched his party allegiance to the Wildrose Party in 2009.
Since then, he has gone public on a few occasions concerned his political affiliation might be harming the ratepayers of Bonnyville because he believes the provincial government is retaliating against him.
“I'm starting to think more and more that it is probably a petty, vindictive action against the people of Bonnyville because their mayor … was flirting with the Wildrose,” he said after his meeting with Snelgrove. “… I'd hate to think the government has got that petty, but I am more and more convinced that this is punishment for getting out of line and criticizing my old party.”
He added he does not blame the City of Cold Lake for the way the deal has panned out, and even respects City of Cold Lake Mayor Craig Copeland for the way he represented his community.
“I have to give Craig Copeland credit for doing a shrewd negotiating job on behalf of his community and a snow job on his MLA (Cold Lake – Bonnyville MLA Genia Leskiw) and Minister Snelgrove,” Isley explained. “He pulled it off wonderfully.”
Isley said the final decision by Snelgrove and the province has left the Town out in the cold and it's not fair.
“Contrary to what people are trying to make it, in my mind, this is not a Bonnyville-Cold Lake issue. This is an issue of fairness … I believe in that money coming south, I just have a problem with the way they are divvying it up. I think Bonnyville got totally shafted.”
Snelgrove refused to comment on what had occurred at the meeting.
