A delegation from the City of Airdrie recently attended the 2024 ABMunis Convention in Red Deer, joining representatives from around 260 Alberta municipalities to continue their advocacy efforts on behalf of the city.
Discussions focused on key city needs and informal meetings with other provincial cabinet ministers allowed the delegation to highlight Airdrie’s serviced school sites, which align with recent education funding announcements.
Earlier this year, Airdrie City Council approved two resolutions to bring to the convention. One advocated for increased Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) funding to keep up with population growth and inflation, passing with 91.6 percent support.
However, due to the many resolutions submitted, a second resolution, calling for a review of the Provincial Animal Protection Act, has yet to be debated. In a news release, city officials said they expect updates on this and other outstanding resolutions in the coming weeks.
The convention drew approximately 1,100 delegates who discussed pressing municipal issues and voted on resolutions that guide ABMunis' advocacy efforts with the provincial government. Key topics at this year's event included the option for municipalities to use automated vote-counting systems, homelessness, and support for affordable housing.
Related Stories:
"We use the ABMunis Convention each year as another connection point to bring Airdrie’s important issues in front of the Premier and her Cabinet Ministers," said Mayor Peter Brown. "We’re appreciative of the opportunity to meet individually with a number of key decision-makers, but during the convention, a lot of great work happens to address challenges that are similar in many communities across the province."
The Airdrie delegation included Mayor Brown, City Councillors Tina Petrow and Heather Spearman, and City administration members. They met with Alberta RCMP senior leadership, Deputy Premier and Minister of Public Safety Mike Ellis, and Minister of Transportation Devin Dreeshen.
"I’m thankful for the support from our municipal colleagues who voted in favour of our resolution at the convention this week," added Mayor Brown. "The significance of bringing them forward in this forum demonstrates to the Province that these are important issues in many communities, not just Airdrie. We look forward to working with ABMunis as we advocate for change."
Sign up to get the latest local news headlines delivered directly to your inbox every afternoon.
Send your news tips, story ideas, pictures, and videos to news@discoverairdrie.com. You can also message and follow us on Twitter: @AIR1061FM.
DiscoverAirdrie encourages you to get your news directly from your trusted source by bookmarking this page and downloading the DiscoverAirdrie app.