Black Diamond and Turner Valley councils’ plans to enter into negotiations to merge the neighbouring communities has created mixed feelings among residents.
When Black Diamond resident Dr. Gary Reid, who has a PhD in petroleum engineering, learned the two councils passed a motion last month to notify the Minister of Municipal Affairs of their intent to formally enter into amalgamation negotiations on Sept. 15, he was upset.
“The town mayors and councillors took this pandemic as a perfect opportunity to push their own agenda,” Reid wrote in an email to the Western Wheel. “I’m going to the next town council meeting and telling them, this is not right. This will only raise our taxes.”
The towns have explored amalgamation twice before, most recently in 2007. That year, the idea was shot down in a plebiscite by an 815-721 margin (493 Turner Valley residents voted in favour and 258 against amalgamation, while 228 Black Diamond residents supported it and 557 voted against it).
That year, Reid said he and his wife Ruth handed out pamphlets around town that provided information as to why amalgamation shouldn’t take place. The couple had moved to Black Diamond in 2001.
“We said it shouldn’t be done because the sewage in Turner Valley needs work,” he said. “At that time Turner Valley’s debt and taxes were higher than Black Diamond’s. Another reason is we have to pay for the RCMP because we were going to be greater than 5,000 people if we amalgamate.”
Reid said his biggest concern about amalgamation today is the possibility of higher taxes for Black Diamond residents.
In addition to his financial concerns, Reid said there are also a lot of unanswered questions.
“There’s two councils and two mayors so who is going to take over?” he said. “Are we going to have another election? There’s lot of questions that haven’t been answered.”
A press release from the two Towns in July states administration will spend the next several weeks formulating a negotiation plan and framework that will include financial implications, potential grants and a timeline. It also states that there will be public consultation throughout the process.
When the plan is complete, the Towns will submit an application for amalgamation to the Minister of Municipal Affairs, the release states.
The councils’ recent decision follows a 43-page feasibility study conducted in 2016 and 2017 by Urban Systems on amalgamating the two communities after both councils decided to explore the potential of merging in early 2016. The Towns received a $150,000 grant from the Alberta Community Partnership to hire a consultant to conduct the study.
In 2012, Black Diamond and Turner Valley councils adopted the Friendship Agreement as a commitment between the two towns to collaborate towards expanded shared services and improved communication.
Longtime Turner Valley resident Amanda Gentry, who’s also lived in Black Diamond, said she feels as if the two towns have already spent enough money researching amalgamation.
“It frustrates me the amount of money that’s been spent on all this research,” she said. “To keep rehashing it when nothing ever stands out is frustrating.”
Gentry said there’s been no obvious financial benefits expressed by the Towns if the two communities merge.
“If it’s not obvious, just the history and the families who live here should matter,” she said. “If financially it makes sense to do it then fine, I get that. I’ve just never seen any research or anything that really said it made sense.”
Gentry said one of her concerns about amalgamation is the two towns losing their individual identities.
“Turner Valley is a special little community and we want to keep it that way,” she said. “I just think that these decisions need to weigh heavy on those people who are in charge and making those decisions. It’s really got to make sense for everyone.”
Black Diamond resident Brendan Kelly, who’s lived in the community for four years, said merging the two town could increase efficiencies.
“I believe that if we can look at the numbers and things can be more efficient and cost effective, why would we not consider that?” he said. “We can share resources. We’re already bringing water over from Turner Valley and we pay them for that. We have stuff they don’t have and they have things we don’t have. Why can’t we share the resources across the road?”
Kelly said both communities have “a serious amount of potential.”
“I’ve only been in the area for about six years - living in Eden Valley for two years while my wife and I continued our teaching careers - and we fell in love with Black Diamond,” he said. “I see both communities having the resources they have being able to share and still be successful.”
Like most residents, Kelly also has many questions around what amalgamation could mean for the two towns.
“If it comes to fruition does one council fall apart?” he said. “Obviously you want to have representation in both communities. Could we have one council be just as effective?”
Kelly said he looks forward to learning more about the pros and cons of amalgamation as the information becomes available from the Towns.