Clearwater County and the Village of Caroline have started the process to explore the possibility of amalgamating the two municipalities with the first round of public engagement presentation information sessions starting next week.

Process

County officials say, it is important to note that no final decision has been made yet about amalgamation by either the Village Council or Clearwater County Council. Legislatively, officials say there are two decision points that are required. The first decision point is simply to initiate the exploration of amalgamation and to provide notice to local authorities and to the minister in charge that initiation has begun. County officials say this first decision has already been triggered by both councils, when on February 14 at their regular council meetings, the following resolution was passed;

“That Council consider a motion to direct Administration to jointly initiate exploring amalgamation with the Village of Caroline and Clearwater County.”

The second legislative trigger point is for councils to either oppose or support amalgamation. It’s noted, this will happen after community engagement has taken place, after negotiations between municipalities has occurred, and after the amalgamation study with recommendations that have been presented. Officials say the minister in charge will then have the final approval and/or decide the best course of action to take.

Engagement

The County is now at the engagement stage and is inviting residents to participate in in-person sessions scheduled for:

• Feb. 27, 6:30-8:00 p.m. at the Leslieville Community Hall
• Mar. 1, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. at the Butte Hall.
• Mar. 6, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. Crammond Community Hall
• Mar. 13, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. Caroline Community Hub
• Mar. 23,  6:30-8:00 p.m. Virtual online Zoom meeting

According to Clearwater County officials, the topic of amalgamating the Village of Caroline and Clearwater County is not new to the municipalities or its citizens. Keeping two separate governance structures and systems for the two municipalities with a combined population of approximately 12,500 is not described as efficient. The Village of Caroline and Clearwater County say they have numerous active partnerships together and many view the Village of Caroline and Clearwater County as relying on each other for various services, making this a logical initiative.

A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document about the amalgamation study and other project milestones are available here.

County officials say public engagement and input is crucial to this study. Residents, local business owners, and community groups can attend the above listed presentation dates or complete a short survey that will be made available in the near future.

Registration for the virtual session on March 23 is being taken through Eventbrite. Click here to register.