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Red Deer County recreation grant to Innisfail gets big boost

Recreation grant compensates Innisfail for county residents using its facilities
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Red Deer County has approved a new recreation agreement with the Town of Innisfail to compensate it for the cost of providing recreation facilities such as arenas that county residents can use. Photo from Town of Innisfail

Red Deer County’s contribution to Innisfail recreation has been given a big boost in a new five-year agreement.

Under the terms of a recreation and culture agreement approved by county council this week, the grant to Innisfail will increase to $341,030 this year, well above the $131,100 provided in the multi-year agreement that just expired.

In the fourth and fifth years of the agreement, the county grant will increase to $389,790.

The agreement is similar to others the county has with urban municipalities within its borders. The purpose is to offset the cost of county residents using facilities in nearby communities and ensuring that facility and program fees remain the same for county and town residents.

“I’m 100 per cent in favour of it,” said county Mayor Jim Wood of the agreement. “I think this is money well spent for our residents.”

Besides benefiting county residents, the grant formula aims to provide cost recovery for the town for the services it provides non-residents.

The deal includes a $75,000 base grant for the town, based on its 2016 population of 6,927. Red Deer County will provide $30 per capita for the first three years of the deal and $40 for the last two years. Per capita funding is based on the nearly 4,900 county residents living within Innisfail’s catchment area.

County council approved similar five-year agreements with Sylvan Lake, Elnora and Delburne in April that saw significant increases in grants.

Wood said at the time that the agreements acknowledge that urban communities are providing recreational facilities for county use.

“What we’re trying to do is provide the appropriate amount of funds that would be fair to have someone provide that service for us.”



pcowley@reddeeradvocate.com

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