Recent moves by the province to help municipalities deal with delinquent taxes rung up by oil and gas companies won't be a big help to Foothills County.

Reeve Delilah Miller says they took a big hit from Lexon but the company went bankrupt so the county can't recoup those funds.

"It's been really limited what we've been able to get but it's certainly good news for other municipalities who are experiencing some high tax delinquencies and so I think it's a welcome decision from the Province and we do have a little bit in Foothills County but nothing to the magnitude that some of the other municipalities are experiencing."

Vulcan County is currently facing an unpaid tax bill from oil and gas companies of $11.8 million.

In making the announcement last week, municipal affairs minister Ric McIver called the legislative changes "a hammer" admitting the size of the hammer can be debated but it's a hammer municipalities have at their disposal just the same.

One change being touted restores and clarifies a special lien for unpaid property taxes on property, machinery, and equipment.

McIver says this restores a tool that communities lost two years ago after a court ruled that such liens didn't apply to the oilpatch.

Reeve Miller says there are a lot of orphan wells in the Longview and Turner Valley areas that need attention.

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