On Thursday, May 4, Botha residents will be given a platform to participate in a public information session hosted by Municipal Affairs at the Botha Community Hall from 6 to 8 p.m., prior to the public vote on Monday, May 15.
In October 2015, as a result of a council request in 2014, the Minister of Municipal Affairs initiated a viability review.
Since then, the Viability Review Team, a committee comprised of representatives from the Village of Botha, the County of Stettler, and municipal associations in Alberta, has worked on developing a viability plan for the Village of Botha.
“We are so close to Stettler that most of the demographic are renters or seniors,” said Mayor Flo Iskiw. “The viability team has done a lot of research to see if Botha can exist as a municipality on its own, but the truth is for the long-term this is not going to work until we get more support.”
Iskiw explained that Botha residents have two options, which include that the Village of Botha remains a village and implements changes to achieve viability and become a stronger municipality, with the alternative being that the Village of Botha is dissolved and Botha becomes a hamlet within the County of Stettler.
A copy of the viability plan was mailed to residents and property owners on Feb. 15 and was also presented to the Village of Botha on March 1, at a special council meeting. At the meeting, village council passed a motion to request that Hon. Shaye Anderson, Minister of Municipal Affairs proceed with a vote of electors on the options presented in the 2017 Village of Botha Viability Plan.
The public information session will be held to discuss the viability plan and to provide residents, property owners, and community stakeholders with an opportunity to ask questions about the plan prior to the public vote. A copy of the viability plan for the Village of Botha is available online at:
www.municipalaffairs.alberta.ca.