Alberta municipal leaders hope for improved relationship under new premier

Rebuilding municipal-provincial relations Leaders from 24 Alberta municipalities met in Airdrie to discuss how best to repair a contentious relationship with the province.

Mayors of Alberta's mid-sized cities gathered in Airdrie to talk shop Thursday, and first on the to-discuss list was the new Danielle Smith government.

Leaders from 24 communities met for the Mid-Sized Cities Mayor's Caucus, a biannual in-person event that will run for two days.

Amongst a rocky few years in the municipal-provincial relationship, many preached collaboration and communication as a new premier takes over.

"I hope they focus on the fundamentals and deal with the real important issues," Airdrie Mayor Peter Brown said.

"That's what's important to me. I want them to be successful so the rest of Alberta is going to be successful."

Many say it's been a contentious relationship since the UCP's 2019 election.

Arguments have been sparked over capital funding, health care and policing, with multiple community leaders accusing the province of not listening to their concerns.

"A good example of that is when they talked about the Alberta police force," Brooks Mayor John Petrie said.

"I thought that came from the top down. I think it's important in any situation (to) consult municipalities. We are paying for the cost of that, too."

But like Brown, Petrie is open to wiping the slate clean.

They'd both like to see the government hone in "on what actually matters" and believe a new face could help communication.

"I'm optimistic it's going to improve," Petrie said.

"Hopefully, that will be a transition with the new government."

"The proof is in the pudding on any proposed policy changes," Brown added.

"At the end of the day, until you see what's been laid out, it's hard to make any determinations."

Thursday in Edmonton, Smith also addressed the province's back and forth with municipalities.

"I want to make sure we can reset the relationship between our government and our municipal leaders, because we are all serving the same people," she said.

"I think that is the culture that we need to develop."

Multiple mayors say Smith's cabinet appointment unveiling on Friday will speak volumes about the direction her government will take.

"Tomorrow morning's announcement is extremely important in the fact that we will then identify who we need to work with in each portfolio," Grande Prairie's Jackie Clayton said.

"At the end of the day, we want to see success, and we want to find solutions with the new government."

The mayors attending Airdrie's caucus represent more than one million Albertans.