CANMORE – An estimated $3.53 million in financial downloading by the province on the Town of Canmore had a direct impact on municipal taxpayers in 2022, according to a new report from the Town.
The report emphasizes the estimated cost of downloading on local taxpayers through various services that are intended to be provided by the province, but are often left to the responsibility of the municipality.
Among the most costly was a shift from Municipal Sustainability Infrastructure funding, Canmore Fire-Rescue responding to medical calls and a shift in traffic fine revenue to the province.
“Every year, year after year, we get some sort of download, which then we have to tax for. The question then is how come the tax increases are so high?” said Mayor Sean Krausert during the first finance committee’s budget meeting Tuesday (Nov. 8). “A portion of it is we’re continually being asked to pay more for something that the province should be paying for.”
Though it’s unlikely that the Town will see repayments from the province, the goal is to help with advocacy efforts in curtailing those cost impacts on municipal taxpayers.
“Aside from advocacy and giving the province suggestions on what to do with their surplus, the question really for council becomes either you’re going to tax for it or you’re going to reduce programs and services in the community,” said CAO Sally Caudill, who noted the province is asking Albertans what to do with the provincial budget surplus of roughly $13.2 billion.
Impacts for the municipality include Canmore Fire-Rescue responding to medical-related calls when an ambulance isn’t available, as well as provincial funding not increasing to adjust for inflation for Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) and Family Resource Network, leaving the municipality to either let resources decline or step up to help with these social services.
According to a budget report, the rate per hour for Canmore Fire-Rescue Engine No. 1 is $370. Each firefighter receives $48 an hour, so if a medical call is estimated to take 30 minutes, a medical call results in $257 being placed on local taxpayers.
In 2021, there were 331 medical calls, meaning an added $85,067 in costs. The number in 2022 has 294 medical calls as of Sept. 30 for $75,558 in medical call expenses.
The estimated financial impact in 2022 for advanced life support is $20,000, while ambulance delays leading to Canmore Fire-Rescue responding to calls are projected at $100,744.
Water rescues are equally costly to the municipality, with a jet boat budgeted at $370 an hour and each crew member at $48.
There were 11 water rescue calls in 2021, with an estimated $3,885 spent on equipment and $8,040 on labour for $11,925. The average time on scene was one hour and 8.91 people responded per call.
The numbers are slightly down in 2022, and as of Oct. 13, there were four water rescues leading to $3,052 in equipment costs and $3,840 in labour for a total of $6,892. The average time was calculated at 2.25 hours on scene and 8.75 people responding per call.
“It really helps me understand better all the little areas where increased costs are cumulatively adding up in terms of what the province is making decisions on that might affect us,” said Coun. Tanya Foubert, who originally brought forward the motion in the summer to track downloaded costs. “I think being able to frame it this way helps in being able to communicate with the community about the budget pressures we face as council.”
Alberta Health Services and the province took over ambulances about a decade ago, but a centralized dispatch system often means ambulances meant to help locals are sent elsewhere.
The province has made efforts in the past six months to limit the disruption to communities, particularly rural ones, but the impacts have been highlighted both on the ground and financially.
Locally, CT scans were increased at Canmore General Hospital in the spring to have fewer ambulances transporting patients to Calgary, while four new ambulances were made available in Calgary, aiming to restrict the need to call on EMS from other areas.
Other changes saw $250,000 in each of 2021 and 2022 go to the province rather than the Town of Canmore when traffic fine revenue was shifted to the province, while feral rabbit management is estimated to cost Canmore $54,000 in 2022.
The replacement of ParentLink with FRN cost the Town an estimated $110,000 and the childcare subsidy in 2020 led to an extra $25,000 being spent by the municipality in 2022.
The lack of a funding increase for FCSS since 2015 cost the Town a projected $175,000 in 2022, while the reduction in MSI funding led to a $2.2 million decrease from the province to the Town.
The tracking of provincial downloading isn’t without precedent. The Town of Gibbons bills the province when its fire-rescue crews respond to medical calls. The Town of Okotoks completes a tracking report of provincial downloading, but financial information isn’t specifically kept such as in Canmore.
A change in MSI funding will also see significant impacts on money provided by the province to a municipality for infrastructure costs.
“The list will likely continue to grow and numbers will likely become more certain,” Krausert said. “We now have that start and understanding so we can talk to that narrative whether it be advocacy or our own residents.”
ESTIMATED PROVINCIAL DOWNLOADING COSTS IN 2022
- $2.2 million less in MSI funding for infrastructure needs
- $450,000: Canmore investment in Canmore Community Housing
- $250,000: Province taking more from traffic fine revenue
- $175,000: Town making up difference of halt in FCSS funding increase
- $110,000: Replacement of Parent Link with FRN and reduction in grant money
- $100,744: Canmore Fire-Rescue responding to medical calls
- $54,000: Municipality managing feral rabbits
