We have reached out to coordinate responses from the City of Lacombe, Lacombe County and the City of Red Deer, as well as Lacombe-Ponoka MLA Ron Orr. 

These responses will be available in the coming days as officials work through the impacts of the Alberta 2020 Budget that was tabled on Feb. 27th. 

Highlights that directly affect central Albertans include:

-$5 million for the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre's first phase of expansion. (Rural Health Facilities Revitalization Program)

-$7 million for a Red Deer Integrated Emergency Shelter, with 160 new beds for the homeless.

- Changes to the Alberta Child and Family Benefit, which takes place on July 1, 2020.

- $33 million for the Red Deer Justice Centre in 2020, $157 M total by 2023

-$286 million over the next five years into frontline rural police service. Small and rural communities will now pay a piece of this funding model. 

From the Government of Alberta: "A blueprint for jobs"

Third-quarter results show the deficit has declined more than expected. With the deficit $1.2 billion lower than projected in Budget 2019, Alberta taxpayers can expect to pay $35 million less in debt-servicing costs.

Budget 2020 also provides stable funding for health, education and core social services. The budget focuses on finding cost efficiencies and creating jobs while maintaining the high-quality services Albertans expect.

“Budget 2020 continues our focus on creating jobs, growing our economy and streamlining programs and services to ensure a sustainable future. Our plan is working. We are on track to balance the budget by 2022-23 and Alberta’s surplus in that year is expected to be higher than that projected in Budget 2019. We are also maintaining funding for health and education while ensuring each dollar is wisely spent on what Albertans need most.”  -Travis Toews, President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance

The 2020 Capital Plan commits $6.9 billion in 2020-21 to build and maintain key infrastructure projects across the province. Over the course of the three-year fiscal plan, an estimated $772 million in new projects will be added, bringing the total capital plan to $19.3 billion. This will create opportunities for private sector participation and support more than 3,000 jobs, increasing employment by 2022. Some of the new projects include:

  • Twinning Highway 40 to facilitate economic growth and improve safety.
  • Funding to renovate the Peter Lougheed Centre to alleviate pressure on Alberta’s most-congested emergency department.
  • New funding for critical laboratory equipment needs in Edmonton and northern Alberta.
  • The Alberta Surgical Wait-Times Initiative, which will fund new operating rooms and purchase new hospital equipment. The initiative will reduce Alberta’s surgical wait times to an average of four months, funding 80,000 additional surgeries by 2022-23.
  • The launch of a new Rural Health Facilities Revitalization Program to provide infrastructure upgrades across Alberta.
  • Funding for the Red Deer Integrated Emergency Shelter for 160 new spaces for the homeless.
  • Funding for the Bow Reservoir Options project to assess the feasibility of a multi-use dam on the Bow River.

Bill 4, also tabled today, implements a fixed budget period. This provision is an amendment to the Fiscal Planning and Transparency Act and aligns with a recommendation from the MacKinnon Panel.

A fixed budget period will help organizations that provide services for Albertans to better plan their own budgets. The fixed budget period means a budget must be released each year in the month of February.