Mayor Jeff Genung says cuts to Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI) funding weren't as deep as the town expected in the Alberta government budget tabled on Oct. 24.

Genung says the budget calls for about a nine per cent cut in MSI funding for Alberta municipalities. He believes Cochrane will be OK.

"We were expecting a decrease of up to 15, maybe 18 per cent, so I'm pleased with a nine per cent cut," says the mayor. "It's a modest cutback, something we can work with in our budget."

The 2020 town budget draft will be presented to town council on Oct. 28.

"The administration has been clear they will need an adjustment period. They have built the budget on assumptions. I'm not sure exactly what numbers they used, but I believe it is higher than nine per cent so we should be OK. But we will adjust if necessary."

Genung says he agrees with much of what is in the budget, and believes Cochrane shares many of the same ambitions.

"Putting the province back on track, getting people back to work, diversifying our economy; these are things I believe Cochrane is also working on," he says.

"I think Cochrane is a poster community for the UCP government to show the rest of the province that this is how it's done."

Finance minister Travis Toews calls for a $94 million drop in MSI funding for the 2020-21 fiscal year and a further $142 million cut in 2021-22.