St. Albert Coun. Malcolm Parker doesn’t carry a cellphone with him because he likes to stay focused on business.
It is that kind of mindset Parker will bring to the Alberta Capital Finance Authority Board following his election this week as one of its directors.
“The mayor asked me to look at it so he was supportive,” Parker said, calling from a payphone. “I guess the other thing too is my background in business lends itself to this kind of thing.”
Parker’s election during the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA) convention in Edmonton puts St. Albert back on the regional map. Coun. Len Bracko stepped down from the board of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) earlier this year.
The board to which Parker was elected is responsible for roughly $1.2 billion in annual provincial funding. According to its website, it acts only as an agent of the Alberta Crown and is responsible for providing municipalities with financing for capital projects.
The loans the authority makes to municipalities, school boards and other local entities are done so at a much lower interest rate – based on the cost of borrowing – than a municipality could find borrowing from a private lending institution or bank.
“I think you look at some of these organizations, whether it’s the FCM or AUMA and you come to these conferences and you learn a little about what they do,” Parker said. “I think it’s an opportunity to represent St. Albert and meet with other people and see what’s going on in other areas.”
There will be benefits for St. Albert, Parker said, but nothing direct.
“It helps our community in terms of learning what other people are doing.”
Mayor Nolan Crouse said he put the bug in Parker’s ear earlier this month.
“The one thing we have is an obligation and responsibility to serve our greater region,” Crouse said. “Doing so gives us another voice, another opportunity to influence if we have to, but contribute more than anything.”
Parker’s election won’t reap extra funds for the city, but St. Albert will benefit from his connections and new knowledge, Crouse said.
“The fact he’s on the board, he’s now an insider in the AUMA and he can influence other things, but from that board’s perspective, there’s nothing we’re going to reap from this,” Crouse said.
Parker’s term on the board begins in the spring of 2013. He will be eligible to serve a total of three three-year terms.
