Rocky Mountain House’s newly elected mayor says council plans to involve residents more directly in major decisions starting in the new year.
Mayor Shane Boniface says council will create opportunities for public engagement on several initiatives, including long-term infrastructure and development plans.
“We’re going to be asking the community in the new year about plans that we have,” Boniface said. “We want our community to be involved in some of these discussions.”
One project expected to be part of those conversations is a proposed combined recreation and civic centre.
Boniface said the town office — built in the 1970s — is getting old and cramped, and no longer meets growing administrative needs.
During recent budget deliberations, council approved funding to commission concept drawings for a new town headquarters and a field house under one roof.
Rocky Mountain House Mayor Shane Boniface speaking to daily challenges faced at the current town office building
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Council is also exploring the potential for residential development on 63 acres of undeveloped land in the northwest Riverview area.
At the same time, Boniface said council is taking a different approach from the previous administration on some files, including the town’s wayfinding sign project.
“We basically stopped the project for now,” he said, adding council does not believe it is a good use of municipal funds. The town is reviewing whether it is obligated to proceed under an existing contract or can withdraw.
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Boniface said budget discussions went smoothly, even as he wished the approved 2.87 per cent property tax increase for 2026 could have been lower.
He said council aimed to keep the increase as low as possible amid rising labour and material costs.
“Projects cost this community more money than they used to, and we understood that,” Boniface said. “We tried to keep taxes down as much as possible with what we had.”
Details on opportunities for increased public input are expected to be announced in the new year.
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