Alberta Municipal Affairs has announced that Westlock County will undergo a full-blown municipal inspection sometime in the near future.
This was many months in the making and it’s about time we fix the issues that have plagued council for years.
Good on the councillors for recognizing there was a problem and asking Municipal Affairs to step in and straighten things out. Municipal Affairs did so with a preliminary review Aug. 31 to Sept. 1, which involved interviews with county administration and council.
From that, it’s clear the ministry understood that a municipal inspection was necessary.
Although our neighbours in Thorhild County have called their inspection a “witch hunt,” this process shouldn’t be about blaming specific individuals — although some played more of a role than others.
What we need is to recognize where things went awry and where we need to go to get the county back on track.
Accountability is key to good governance and this inspection will hopefully bring solutions so that the county functions effectively and efficiently for decades to come.
The bottom line is that ratepayers deserve good governance.
After all, this council wouldn’t have their seat if not for the electorate. They pay taxes, which fund the necessary infrastructure we need to safely go about our lives. They work to build that infrastructure and bring economic prosperity to the region and beyond.
But without effective governance, tax dollars are wasted on litigation or poorly executed projects, jobs disappear, and people lose trust and respect in their government.
In both Thorhild County and the Town of Athabasca, their ratepayers were fed up and petitioned the provincial government to do something.
Fortunately for us, that hasn’t been the case. We’ve not reached the breaking point, but who is to say we’re not far off?
Let’s take this as a positive first step and a fresh start.
