Overview
Mackenzie County (the County) is undertaking a public engagement process to gather feedback from residents on four governance options under review by the County.
Feedback from residents and interested parties will be included in a comprehensive engagement report that is shared with Council to inform their motion for the governance option they recommend to Alberta Municipal Affairs. The engagement report and Council’s motion will be used by Alberta Municipal Affairs to determine the next steps for Mackenzie County pertaining to its governance structure.
The County has grown significantly with a population increase of 14.9% in the last six years. The 2024 population is 14,380 and due to the increased population, it is necessary to review whether the ward boundaries fairly and effectively represent the citizens of the County. The County currently has 10 wards, with each ward having one Councillor.
Under the Alberta Municipal Government Act (sections 148 and 150), a municipality’s council has the authority to make changes to its ward boundaries through the passing of a bylaw.
Project Timeline
Engage – November 2024
• Share information and gather feedback on governance options
o November 6-20, 2024 virtual open house and online survey
o November 12-14, 2024 – Four (4) in-person open houses
• Prepare Engagement Report to summarize public feedback and engagement.
o Available November 25, 2024
Next Steps
• Council to review engagement report and submit a motion on governance option recommendation to Alberta Municipal Affairs.
• Alberta Municipal Affairs to review engagement report and Council motion to determine next steps for the Mackenzie County governance review.
Get Involved
There are several ways to get involved in the project which will be open from November 6 – November 20, 2024
• Participate in the VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE or ONLINE SURVEY for residents and interested parties between November 6 and November 20, 2024.
**Please check back on November 6, 2024.
• Participate in the in-person drop-in open houses on November 12 and 13, 2024. The locations of the open houses are Fort Vermilion, La Crete, Buffalo Head area, and High Level Rural. The event is a drop-in format with display boards and no formal presentation. Participants can attend anytime during the event time.
Note: Virtual open houses and in-person drop-in open houses contain identical content.
Open House Details
Tuesday, November 12, 2024
o 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. – High Level Rural Hall – 17242 Hwy 58, SW 3-110-17-W5M
o 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. – Fort Vermilion Community Cultural Complex – 5001-44th Avenue, Fort Vermilion
Wednesday, November 13, 2024
o 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. – Buffalo Head Prairie School – 104336 Highway 697, SE 23-104-15-W5M
o 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. – La Crete Heritage Center – 15439 TWP RD 1060, NE 32-105-15-W5M
• Contact Darrell Derksen, Chief Administrative Officer at cao@mackenziecounty.com or (780) 927-3718 if you have any questions.
• Follow the project on this webpage. We will post updates and additional information as it becomes available.