Regional district offers funds to local towns or
cities eyeing amalgamation
Proponents of a Beaver Valley amalgamation are taking advantage of a decent proposal after the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary started a fund last month to aid preliminary studies.
“The regional district set aside a fund for $35,000 and it will help to fund any municipality or electoral area if they’re wanting to look at re-governance,” regional district head John MacLean told the Times Tuesday.
The Beaver Valley amalgamation of Montrose, Fruitvale and part of Area A have filed an application asking for $10,000. The application will go before the board on Jan. 27.
While Trail and Warfield have expressed interest, no application has
been received, said MacLean.
The initial study is a general study looking into the positive and negative benefits of amalgamation, such as impact of taxation on businesses and residents.
“It’s just to give some basic information what the possible impacts could be,” he said.
When asked why little has been heard about the fund, MacLean replied,
“The board set it up on the last meeting of the year – so nobody came.”
Montrose Mayor Griff Welsh said during Monday’s council meeting, he would like to see the study completed in early March prior to meetings with the Association of Kootenay Boundary Local Governments at the end of April.
“So we know that when go to the electorate we can know the good and the bad.”
The provincial amalgamation study for Beaver Valley is scheduled for 2012.