Title
Nomination to Federation of Canadian Municipalities
Proposed Motion
That Council support the nomination of Council Member AnnLisa Jensen to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Board of Directors, as presented.
Body
Administration Recommendation
Administration supports the nomination of Council Member AnnLisa Jensen to the Federation of Canadian Muncipalities Board of Directors, as presented.
Purpose
Participation of a Member of Council as a Board of Directors for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities requires Council resolution.
Summary
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) is the national voice for Canada’s local governments and currently represents approximately 2000 municipalities and 91% of Canada’s population. Alberta is Canada’s 4th most populous province and has the 3thd largest membership in FCM with 98.798% of municipalities represented. 84% of rural municipalities are FCM members.
FCM’s mandate is to offer local solutions to national issues and provides its member municipalities advocacy support directly to the federal government on their behalf. It implements several programs, in partnership with the federal government, to assist municipalities in strengthening their capacity to innovate and solve complex issues. These programs include the FCM Innovation Network, Gas Tax Fund, Municipal Asset Management Program, the Green Municipal Fund, Municipalities for Climate Innovation Program, Community Economic Development Initiative and Community Initiative Partnership Project.
FCM has been pairing Canadian municipal experts with their counterparts in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean since 1987 in order to promote economic development, empower local governments, provide natural disaster support and encourage civic participation. FCM’s 2017-18 budget is $81,757,000.
At the FCM’s Annual Conference and Trade Show, which will take place from May 31 to June 3, 2018 in Halifax, an election will be held for the Rural Director position on the FCM’s Board of Directors. Alberta has seven directors consisting of the Presidents of the Rural Municipalities of Alberta and the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association, one each from the City of Calgary and City of Edmonton, one municipal member recognized as rural (counties, municipal districts and specialized municipalities) and two municipal members from an urban municipality other than Edmonton or Calgary (cities, towns, villages and specialized municipalities).
Councillor Jensen is appointed to three FCM committees and is attending the three annual scheduled meetings of the Board of Directors where the committee meetings take place. Therefore, an elected position on the Board of Directors at this time would not result in any additional costs.
Board of Directors participation will ensure a voice from this area will continue to advocate for rural Alberta issues at the national level. Some of these issues include ensuring that investment by the Federal Government empower rural communities to move infrastructure projects forward, retain a minimum of 50% federal cost-share funding for projects under the Rural and Northern Communities Fund, enable new Green Infrastructure Funds to support locally-identified priorities, cannabis legalization, addressing rural crime, the development of a long-term strategy for universal broadband internet access, streamline project application and reporting requirements for smaller communities and, importantly, to design and apply a “rural lens” to federal programs and policies, reflecting the fiscal and demographic realities of rural, northern and remote communities.
Strategic Plan/Policy/Legal/Staff Implications:
Responsible Leadership
Financial Impact:
Cost: n/a
Source of Funding: Budget