13 Jul Special Areas Wraps Up 2026 Ratepayer Meetings
Special Areas completed annual ratepayer meetings on June 30, 2026, hosting meetings throughout May and June. The tour covered more than 1,200 kilometres, giving residents across the region an opportunity to meet with their Advisory Councillors and members of Administration in their own communities.
Annual ratepayer meetings are an important way that Special Areas connects with local residents, helping to gather public input on local priorities and hear any concerns people might have. At these annual meetings, residents provide direction to Advisory Council through motions; this year motions covered a range of topics including: cemetery fees, river campground fees, wind tower setback regulations, and another Tax Recovery Land Sale. Ratepayer motions are reviewed by Advisory Council in the fall.
For those unable to attend a ratepayer meeting, the information shared at them is available on the Special Areas website on the Ratepayer Meetings page. On the website, you can find audited financial statements, newsletters, presentations, and public reports. At the 2026 meetings, Administration provided updates on the Empress viability review, the 2026 Resident Satisfaction Survey, and a status update on the Tax Recovery Land Sale.
Additional updates covered grazing lease rates, the three-year pilot project at Buffalo Atlee Community Pasture, Sheerness Industrial Park, the 2026 road program, the 10-year Path to Pavement plan, and major infrastructure projects. Some notable projects included the regional waterline extension from Pemukan to Compeer, continued design work on rural potable water systems, improvements to parks and campgrounds, and dam stabilization projects.
Residents also received information on regional healthcare initiatives, including the future Consort Health & Wellness Centre, nurse practitioner services, the new Oyen Medical Clinic, and the Oyen Assisted Living and Dementia Care Facility. Updates were also provided on 10-year assessment and mill rate trends, the 2025 financial review, and planned 2026 expenses.
Residents who were unable to attend are encouraged to contact their Advisory Council representative or provide feedback through our 2026 Resident Satisfaction Survey. The goal of the survey is to get feedback from residents in the Special Areas. The survey is anonymous and is open until October 2026. The next Advisory Council meeting is scheduled for early fall. More information is available at: https://specialareas.ab.ca/about/board-and-advisory-council/.