Following years of conversation and months of formal public engagement surrounding the proposed amalgamation of the Village of Caroline and Clearwater County, the final report is available.
Officials say the report will be presented to both council bodies on July 23 and must be approved by both councils. Pending approval, the report will be sent to the office of Ric McIver, Minister of Municipal Affairs.
The final report reads in part:
The County of Clearwater (the County) and the Village of Caroline (the Village) are presenting this report to the Honourable Ric McIver, Minister of Municipal Affairs, to formally propose that the two existing municipalities be disbanded and a new amalgamated municipality under the County be formed.
There has been a long-standing partnering relationship over the decades between the County and the Village. Building on this sense of regional community, official and collaborative discussions between the two municipalities began in 2023 when the Village Council indicated a desire to enter negotiations for amalgamating with the County.
The amalgamation process is supported by the Amalgamation Study Report: Report for Clearwater County – Village of Caroline Amalgamation Study (2023) (Appendix 8) that highlights potential benefits such as an increased tax base, service level reviews, and the integration of revenue, expenses, and infrastructure under one municipal entity. The study concluded that amalgamation would provide long-term sustainable benefits for both the Village and County, address infrastructure deficit, and streamline governance and service delivery.
In an earlier interview with 94.5 Rewind Radio News, Clearwater County Reeve, Michelle Swanson said, pending approval, the hope is for the process to go over as smoothly as possible.
“I believe our goal is to maintain service levels with both the County and the Village,” said Swanson. “The impact for our residents, I think the goal is to be no different. The County will find some efficiencies.”
Among the proposals in the report is the establishment of an interim council to represent Caroline that would be made up of seven Clearwater County councillors and one Caroline representative, Councillor Barbara Gibson. The interim council would be in place until the next municipal election on October 20, 2025.
If approved, amalgamation would be formalized on Jan. 1, 2025 and Caroline would become a hamlet.
You can read the entire report here.
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