Pictured is Main Street Bashaw. Rural Alberta Report/S.Salkeld

The Town of Bashaw council chose a reserve account for motor vehicle collision (MVC) funds sent to them by Camrose County. The decision, along with many others, was made at the Apr. 15 regular meeting of council.

Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Theresa Fuller presented councillors with a request for decision (RFD) regarding $45,198.49 sent to the town from neighbouring Camrose County, which was the proceeds from historical MVCs handled by the local fire department. "Historically, the Town of Bashaw and Camrose County had a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding the funds received from MVCs," stated Fuller's report to council.

"Fifty per cent of the funds were placed in an equipment fund stewarded by Camrose County.

"Last year, the agreement was terminated and the funds were provided to the town in a payment of $45,198.49."

The CAO stated that the Town of Bashaw usually placed these funds in an equipment replacement reserve, and staff recommended the same be done with these funds.

During discussion at the meeting, the CAO noted that during the town's recent 2025 audit, the auditor wanted to know where these funds were going.

Councillors unanimously passed a resolution to move $45,198.49 from historic MVC calls into the restricted capital (emergency services) fund for the Town of Bashaw.

RCMP update

Councillors heard the quarterly update from Cpl. Grant Glasier regarding the Bashaw RCMP detachment. He noted the detachment is coping with a number of sick leaves but is getting relief through an RCMP program that brings extra police officers to the community. "There is no cost to the Bashaw RCMP, towns, or counties," stated Glasier's report.

Glasier briefed councillors on a voluntary citizen program called Capture, where residents volunteer their security footage to police in order to help reduce crime.

Glasier noted in his report that crimes against persons in the Bashaw detachment area were down 16 per cent, but property crime was up 104 per cent.

Councillors accepted the report as information.

Public Works report

Public Works Foreman Lindy Black noted that Public Works staff were recently busy with street sign replacement, arena ice removal, culverts, frozen drains, training, repairs at the community hall and road repairs.

Industry tax changes?

Councillors read a letter from Minister of Municipal Affairs Dan Williams describing changes to assessments that he stated would be effective in the 2027 tax year.

Williams' letter noted that regulated property assessment models covering wells, pipelines, telecommunications systems, electric power systems, machinery and equipment, and railways had not been updated since 2005. A recent review led to policy changes, two of which he noted were setting more consistent rules by clarifying when construction is considered finished for assessment purposes, ensuring actual construction costs are included with tightly defined exclusions, creating a provincial benchmark to fairly adjust labour-related construction costs in remote areas, and introducing penalties for owners who do not provide required assessment information on time.

Councillors accepted the letter as information.