Wood Buffalo Recovery Committee – Ft McMurray's Homepage

Wood Buffalo Recovery Committee Will Determine if Residential Tax Relief Will Be Offered

It is now up to the Wood Buffalo recovery committee to determine if residential tax relief will be offered after a motion by Coun. McGrath to cut these taxes was withdrawn. The committee will perform a review, and part of this process will involve exploring potential opportunities for residential tax relief that would be covered under the Disaster Recovery Program for the province of Alberta. McGrath issued a statement during a release and said that “This is being done so we can get this right for our neighbours, families and friends most affected by the wildfire.” Many residents who were forced to evacuate, and who came back to homes that were damaged or structures which were completely destroyed, feel that some tax relief is warranted.

The residential tax relief motion that McGrath proposed on July 12 called for a number of measures that would cut back the taxes that residents and property owners pay. Some believe that this is short sighted though, and that right now the recovery of the community needs to be the very first priority. It is going to take money to rebuild, and cutting taxes at this critical point could be a big mistake if it means that the recovery process drags out longer. Now it will be up to the Wood Buffalo Recovery Committee to decide whether tax relief for residents is warranted, and if it is what type of relief would be the best option to keep the recovery going and help residents get back to normal.

Public Members Were Needed for Wood Buffalo Recovery Committee

Public members were needed for the Wood Buffalo Recovery Committee, and a total of 6 people could be chosen to serve on the committee and work with local government. A press release from the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo explained that six residents would be selected from applications for the committee, and these residents will work closely with Fort McMurray Mayor Melissa Blake and the 3 council members on the committee. These councillors are Sheldon Germain, Keith McGrath, and Allan Vinni. There are a number of responsibilities that the committee must handle and certain oversight duties that they must perform. Recovery Team Leader candidate recommendations, Recovery Task Force progress updates on a weekly basis, and committee meetings are just a few of the things that members will need to participate in.

Public members who were interested in the open spots on the Wood Buffalo Recovery Committee had to submit an application by Monday, July 4, at 4:30 pm. The applications could be submitted in person or by email. The application included some sections which could be beneficial, like involvement in local organization and volunteer experience in the past. Another area covered was flexible availability. The public members chosen to sit on the committee will be named once the application process has been completed and the members have been chosen. Hopefully this is another step forward to a full recovery for Fort McMurray and Wood Buffalo, a step towards a brighter future for everyone so that the wildfire and evacuation can finally be put behind the community.