The city and county of Red Deer have agreed there is no need for an outside "referee" on a collaboration committee.
Both mayors suggested relations have warmed between the two municipalities since the Regional Collaboration Committee was first formed in 2021 as a means of taking a joint approach to tackling area issues.
Johnston said when he was first elected mayor, he and Red Deer County Mayor Jim Wood sat down to talk about their municipalities' futures.
"We basically said the past we cannot change," said Johnston in an interview Wednesday. "We started to stake out some common ground, particularly around the airport and particularly projects and planning that we could collaborate on."
An example of the smoother working relationship can be found in how quickly city and county agreed on the annexation of 140 acres northwest of the city for future commercial and industrial development.
"The days of sort of scrambling for your own (municipality) were over in 2021. And we're starting to see now how that collaboration is paying off."
Johnston said he hopes the new mayors elected continue that relationship "because both of us are benefiting from what we're doing."
City council approved new terms of reference for the committee on Monday. Among the changes was removing the facilitator position that was in place when the committee was first formed.
Mayor Jim Wood offered a similar take on the evolving relationship between the city and county over the last four years.
The collaboration started out as "quite contentious" but that has changed.
"I think we've identified that we'll continue to work on items that are important to this region."
County Coun. Christine Moore, who sat on the committee when it was formed, said there is no longer need for mediation on the committee.
"I think there is so much more willingness and trust and the recognition that we all win together."
County council approved the terms of reference on Tuesday.
Committee member Coun. Dianne Wyntjes said the two municipalities are respectful of each other.
"It doesn't mean to say that we agree on everything. But it's how we share those points of view and look for the collaboration, and that's important."
Coun. Cindy Jefferies said the city's relationship with the county hasn't always been "rosy."
"Having lived through some of those more tenuous years I think it's very important to never take that relationship for granted and to always keep those lines of communication open."
Committee member Coun. Lawrence Lee said, "it's important to note that it wasn't always this way. The collaboration that is happening now on that committee and the work it is doing started off with having to have a so-called referee."
The city's and county's collaboration efforts on creating its Intermunicipal Collaboration Framework (ICF) has since been seen as a model by the province, said Lee. ICFs were required by legislation beginning in 2020 as a means to boosting regional co-operation between municipalities.
