Edmonton leaves Alberta Capital Region Alliance

After more than a year of friction, the City of Edmonton has dropped out an association tasked with planning the future of the capital region.

Edmontoncouncillors voted Tuesday to drop out of the Alberta Capital Region Alliance, a groupthat is supposed to co-ordinate development among 23 communities in the region.

The City of Edmonton hasn't been happy with a rule that requires proposals to meet the approval of all 23 municipalities.

"We tried for a year to work with ACRA," Mayor Stephen Mandel said. "Every time we turn around the consensus model has not allowed us to move forward."

Mandel said he's meeting with 15 of those municipalities this weekend to talk about forming a new group.

Mayor Cathy Olesen of Strathcona county blamed the City of Edmonton for the lack of progress and charged that councillors want a top-down approach to regional planning.

There isno reason why ACRA can't continue, Olesen said, even without the province's capital city.