Bonnyville-Cold Lake MLA Genia Leskiw has something in common with municipal inspector George Cuff.
Cuff strongly encouraged more talks between the leaders of the City of Cold Lake and the MD of Bonnyville when he unveiled his inspection report on Cold Lake earlier this month. Leskiw is doing the same in the wake of Cuff's report.
“I really think that both the reeve and the mayor of the city already have intentions of … moving forward and getting back to the table,” said Leskiw. “It's really up to them, but I'm definitely going to be encouraging them to start over again, put the baggage away and start fresh.”
Cuff recommended the City of Cold Lake should take steps to patch up its relationship with the MD and access the more than $1 million being offered annually by the MD to the city in the regional community development agreement.
Leskiw noted the issue of urban municipalities wanting more of the rural tax revenue from the resource sector is not unique to this part of the province. She said until the government — her government — changes any rules with regard to assessment sharing, municipalities will need to co-operate with each other.
“Until such time as the province reassesses it, the urban municipalities need to co-operate with the rural to see what kind of benefits they can have from the assessment,” Leskiw said Thursday.
The rookie MLA said she had read the conclusions and recommendations sections of Cuff's report on the city, but hadn't yet read the entire 206-page document.
While Cuff's inspection report focuses mostly on city operations, it gives significant play to Cold Lake's somewhat acrimonious relationship with its most significant neighbour, the MD, as well as its relationships with Bonnyville and Glendon.
None blossomed during the forced mediation process in fall 2009 that failed to yield a revenue sharing pact that all four municipalities could live with. The end result was Cold Lake sought a dissolution study, and the province replied by ordering Cuff's inspection instead.
The sharing of property tax dollars from rural industrial development is not an easy issue for MLAs, Leskiw acknowledged.
“I think something needs to be done,” said Leskiw. “I can understand the MD's situation, not wanting to give up their assessment, I can understand that. That's a natural reaction. I think it needs to be looked at,” she said.
“It's a tough question. Cold Lake needs help. I think the MD is trying to help them the best way they can, and we'll see what happens. Can they do more? Absolutely, but I think Cold Lake and the MD have to come to a middle agreement,” Leskiw said.
“It's a give and take situation, and you can't just have one person giving and one taking. They need to co-operate on this.”
