Mindful of provincial decisions that have ruffled municipal feathers and redirected millions in property tax revenues away from some municipalities in favour of others, Yellowhead County is offering more cash to its urban neighbours in 2013.
The county, strung out along Highway 16 two hours west of Edmonton, is offering the towns of Edson and Hinton a combined $5.7 million in annual voluntary payments, about $2.2 million more than it contributed in revenue-sharing agreements in 2012.
That increase of more than 60 per cent reflects the resource-rich county's desire to remain politically autonomous. It doesn't want the Town of Edson and its 8,500 residents dissolving politically into the county.
from Western Investor March 2013
