The Town of Turner Valley, and in particular it's Mayor, Gary Rowntree, are less than impressed with the latest Canadian Federation of Independent Business report on municipal spending.

The report lists Turner Valley as one of the worst performing municipalities from 2006 to 2016, with an increase in operational spending of 841 per cent over those 10 years.

Rowntree says that's based on $13.9 million given to the Town by the Province to replace water treatment facilities destroyed in the 2013 flood, and should not be included in operational spending.

"When the current administration did the investigation off that report, the numbers are skewed. And like any of these special interest groups, you wonder if they want to sell memberships or do proper reporting for the public."

Rowntree says their operational spending is between five and six million dollars a year, which puts them into the median average for a town their size in Alberta.

He says the numbers show an huge increase in spending, which isn't the case.

"Again, it certainly wasn't. Because as everybody in the region knows, the water treatment plant and the reservoir was originally owned by the Town, and under the formation of "SRRUC" or Sheep River Regional Utility Corporation, it became a regional one between Black Diamond, Foothills County and Turner Valley with Class "A" shares and Class "B" to Longview."

The Town has issued a statement demanding a retraction.

 

Send us your news tips, story ideas and comments at news@highriveronline.com