St. Albert will continue to have a voice on the board of a national municipal lobby group. Coun. Tim Osborne won re-election to the board of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) in Winnipeg on June 5.
St. Albert will continue to have a voice on the board of a national municipal lobby group.
Coun. Tim Osborne won re-election to the board of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) in Winnipeg on June 5.
Osborne was first elected to the board of directors last year, and once again was able to snag one of spots set aside for Alberta. There are seven director spots, but of those, four are appointed.
Osborne captured one of the three elected seats, and one of the two set aside for urban municipalities.
“It was not an acclamation,” he said, noting a few people ran for the available director spots. He appreciated support from his St. Albert colleagues and other provincial counterparts.
The organization serves as a national lobby group for municipalities across the country, in addition to offering member municipalities the opportunity to share with each other.
“I think the work that FCM does is really important,” Osborne said. “For me, being at the table has been really valuable.”
He said municipalities have a stronger voice when they speak together. He's been able to learn about a range of issues from across the country, and can bring that perspective back to council.
“It gives me a chance to be better informed and to represent the needs of St. Albert and other municipalities like us,” Osborne said.
While committee appointments for this year's board haven't been made yet, Osborne is hoping to continue working with the committees he's already on, like community safety and crime prevention or increasing women's participation in municipal government.
Mayor Nolan Crouse said councillors serving with national or provincial organizations can help influence the agenda, but also can bring knowledge back to St. Albert.
In addition to Osborne's FCM role, Coun. Cathy Heron serves on the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association board and Coun. Wes Brodhead is on the Canadian Urban Transit Association's transit board members committee.
“When you serve outside of St. Albert, you help St. Albert in the long run,” Crouse said.
