Clearwater County council has approved a new agreement concerning funding for the new Clearwater County Library Board (CCLB).
Under the agreement, the library board must submit its proposed annual budget to council for approval and provide independently reviewed financial statements once they are completed.
The motion, brought forward by Reeve Jordon Northcott, directed administration to prepare an agreement outlining the relationship between the county and the library board.
In December, county staff consulted Alberta Municipal Affairs, which advised against creating or signing an agreement that directs how a library board spends its funds. While not prohibited by legislation, Municipal Affairs said such direction would conflict with the intent of the Libraries Act.
Before calling the motion to a vote, Northcott sought clarification to ensure libraries would indeed have autonomy over how funds are directed to their programs.
Administration confirmed that under the Libraries Act, a municipal library board is established as a corporation and is responsible for making its own financial decisions. However, the legislation does provide council with oversight through the budget approval process and financial reporting requirements.
Administration said the agreement is similar to one Clearwater County already has in place with the town of Rocky Mountain House and the Rocky Mountain House Public Library.
The decision comes after recent funding changes tied to the county’s amalgamation with the former village of Caroline, which altered how provincial library grants were distributed.
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In late 2025, Clearwater County approved $23,000 in one-time emergency funding to the Rocky Mountain House Public Library after the province redirected Caroline’s population-based grant funding to the newly formed Clearwater County Library Board.
That funding change left the Rocky library facing a $46,000 shortfall, prompting both the county and the town to step in with matching contributions.
While conversations are ongoing, Jessica McBride, CCLB chairman, says the new agreement will have little impact on questions regarding grants from the Parkland Regional Library System and funding for the Rocky Library.
“It’s a completely different issue,” she says. “We’re a new library board, we just wanted to make sure our libraries were getting the staffing they needed.”
She says the focus now is getting Nordegg and Caroline libraries up to a higher standard.
Jessica McBride speaking of CCLB initiatives at local libraries
Those efforts include the hiring of a new staff member at the Caroline library. Not only will the employee provide additional programming in the community, but it will also ensure the library is staffed by two people at all times, as McBride says safety has recently become an urgent consideration.
Work is also underway to improve the Nordegg Library, with the potential of hiring a staff member there.
Council approved the agreement at its Jan. 27 regular meeting.
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