Milestones 2019 2019 | Page 13

We’re proud of the work we’re doing to make Lesser Slave River even better IN ADOPTING ITS NEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GROWTH POLICY, LESSER SLAVE RIVER IS EXPLORING NEW BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY OPPORTUNITIES WHILE BOLSTERING COMMUNITY SERVICES AND ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE. Hewing opportunity out of the boreal landscape is second nature to the people of Lesser Slave River. The intrepid spirit of those who founded farms, built businesses and raised families in generations gone by remains to this day. With a renewed focus on economic development, MD Council and administration have embarked upon a path to help this spirit thrive. The Economic Development Growth Policy was adopted by Council in late January, with the twin goals of making it easier for regional businesses to conduct business and positioning the region as an attractive work/ live/play destination. To achieve the first goal the MD plans to implement efficiencies wherever possible, from minimizing red tape and other administrative roadblocks to maintaining low development levies and fees to developers. Additionally, the MD will continue to do its utmost to maintain low rates of taxation for every sector of the community, from the agricultural producer or small business owner to the average tax paying citizen. Another tenet of the Economic Development Growth Policy is the move to introduce fees for service. While incrementally injecting capital back into the MD, these types of fees will encourage users of these services to adapt their behaviour in accordance with what they actually consume. MD administrators have already begun to flesh out some of the underpinnings of the new policy, such as setting growth priorities, formulating destination marketing strategies, and setting aside appropriate resources to further differentiate this unique boreal region apart from the rest of northern Alberta. As the MD lays down its economic development groundwork, it plans to communicate and coordinate these activities with its regional partners wherever it makes sense to do so. This type of intermunicipal collaboration lends itself especially well to the MD’s economic growth plans as collective knowledge, resources or political influence can be leveraged to the net benefit of all communities involved. With this new framework, MD administrators plan to create a common vision to strengthen Lesser Slave River’s business community, enhance its tourism opportunities, and ultimately grow its economic base. The overarching goal is to create new assessment for taxation that will sustain right-sized municipal services and infrastructure, and further support a quality of life unrivalled in other rural regions. 13