Clearwater County and the Village of Caroline have received the final report for their amalgamation study.

Officials say on May 23, 2023, during both councils’ regular meeting, Clearwater County and the Village of Caroline received the final report for the amalgamation study that explored the possibility of amalgamating the two municipalities.

Officials note, public engagement and input was critical to this study and helped to highlight seven themes and insights for councils’ consideration. These include debt overview; efficiencies and economies of scale; governance decision vs. financial decision; self-determination vs. outside determination; service mix and service levels; property taxes; and, where each municipality stands on the issue(s).

Next Steps

The next step for both municipal Councils is to formally decide whether to enter negotiations that could move the County and the Village an additional step down the path towards possible amalgamation. Officials note, this decision is required by the Municipal Government Act (MGA) before any negotiations can take place. However, it is the Minister of Municipal Affairs who makes the final decision and chooses the best course of action to take based on what the two municipal partners recommended.

Public Engagement

Public engagement information session meetings took place on February 27, March 1, 6, 13, and virtually on March 23, 2023.

In addition, a public survey was available during this time and was advertised in the local newspapers, social media, and other local marketing outlets.

A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document about the amalgamation study is available here.