The Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) held its annual Mayors, Reeves and CAOs Meeting yesterday in Brandon.

The morning session included Western, Parkland, Northern and Midwestern Districts, while the afternoon session was for Central, Eastern and Interlake Districts.

About one hundred heads of council and CAOs attended each session.

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AMM President Chris GoertzenPresident Chris Goertzen, and Vice-Presidents Ralph Groening and Gavin van der Linde were able to update members on the current issues Manitoba municipalities are facing. One of the main topics was the Manitoba Infrastructure Service Delivery Model Review.

Virden Mayor Jeff McConnell said the review is a respectful thing for the province to do, because it allows municipalities to share their thoughts.

"It's a very significant process... MI is a very important partner in all of our infrastructure," said McConnell. "So the fact that they've come here to talk to us about what their plan is around the review is good because it's established the lines of communication."

McConnell noted that, as part of the review, some provincial infrastructure could become a municipal responsibility. However, he noted some of this infrastructure, such as provincial roads, is in bad shape.

"If that does happen... if you're going to give that to us, we need you (the province) to help fund it because it's now an extra piece of infrastructure for us to do, and we haven't collected to pay for that," he said.
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Carberry Mayor Stuart Olmstead


Carberry Mayor Stuart Olmstead has been involved with municipal politics for 12 years and said AMM is a strong organization. He agrees that the chance for a discussion was a good thing.

"We're too small of a province to have both an urban and a rural type district, we have to work together," said Olmstead.

RM of Yellowhead Mayor Don Yanick said when it comes to funding projects, municipalities shouldn't have to match provincial funds.

"(AMM) Executive's been lobbying 40 (per cent) by the federal, 40 by the province and 20 by municipality. Now the federal government has come up with a program where it'd be 60 per cent federal for a population under five thousand," he said.

Yanick believes with this new program the province should pitch in 25 per cent, and municipalities 15 per cent.

"They have more access to revenue than we do," said Yanick, adding the province is able to get some of their money back through PST.

A new water treatment plant and upgrades to the airport are recent projects the RM of Yellowhead has worked on.

"If we're going to have this infrastructure, not just for us but our surrounding municipalities, we need some support funding it... if the feds are really willing to put in 60 per cent, we feel it should be 25 provincial and 15 from municipality," said Yanick.

He added he's not sure when the new funding rates will roll out.

The Association of Manitoba Municipalities represents 137 mayors and reeves in the province.