Battleford’s population is inching closer to 5,000, but town officials say city status comes with a price.
Battleford Chief Administrative Officer John Enns-Wind called city status “a legal fiction.”
Towns that make the transition become administered by the Cities Act.
Some costs increase, including costs to run the fire department, as insurance would increase, finance director David Gillan said.
Enns-Wind said whether or not a municipality adopts city status, policing costs increase once population reaches 5,000.
One advantage of becoming a city is the municipality becomes eligible for a larger pool of funding. However, there is also more competition in that group.
Enns-Wind said he went through the process of adopting city status in Kindersley (as mayor) and called city status “a fuss about noting.”
Things would change at an administrative level, but Enns-Wind said little else would likely change in day-to-day life.
