Achi news desk-
The Alberta government has introduced legislation that will give it sweeping powers over municipalities across the province, including the right to fire councilors and overturn bylaws.
Bill 20, the Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act, contains two pieces of legislation: the Local Authority Elections Act (LAEA) and the Municipal Government Act (MGA).
If passed, the amendments to the Municipal Government Act will allow the Cabinet to sack a councilor “if it is in the public interest” or order a referendum to decide whether to sack a councillor, which will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. .
The amendment will also enable the cabinet to require a municipal government to amend or repeal a by-law, as well as giving the cabinet the ability to postpone elections.
Currently, the provincial cabinet can only intervene with a municipal land use bylaw or a statutory plan. Only the municipal affairs minister can dismiss an existing councilor under certain circumstances through a municipal inspection process.
The legislation also proposes to allow municipalities to require criminal record checks for candidates as part of their nomination package. Applicants can currently be disqualified for certain criminal convictions on their records, including corruption-related offences.
“Albertans expect fair and free elections, and through this legislation, we ensure that locally elected officials are accountable to the Albertans who elect them and make decisions that is clearly in Alberta’s interest and reflects the transparency and fairness Albertans deserve,” said Municipal Affairs. Minister Ric McIver told reporters on Thursday.
Kyle Kasawski, the Opposition’s civic affairs critic, said that municipal councils have a duty to represent the citizens who elect them.
“They know best how to run their own affairs. What municipalities need are appropriate funds so they can fix the crumbling infrastructure in their communities and to pay for the programs Albertans deserve,” Kasawski said in an emailed statement.
On Thursday, municipal politicians were quick to push back against the bill.
Edmonton Cllr. Aaron Paquette wrote on social media, “Bend the knee or get fired?
Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said she has more questions than answers. While she welcomed criminal record checks for applicants, she raised concerns about other parts of the bill.
“This is a piece of legislation that requires a thoughtful and enthusiastic response. However, we have little or no details on things that will change the face of municipal governments,” he told reporters at a news conference on Thursday.
“The provincial government claims that this is to ensure that local elections are transparent, fair and free.
“But I am left asking why they have inserted themselves into municipal governments in a way that actually takes away the right of the voting public to elect the council they believe is best to serve them ?”
Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said in a social media post that a large majority of residents do not want political parties at the local level. He said the legislation would make city council decisions more toxic and divisive.
“People know that local issues are not partisan issues,” he said.
Gondek added that the provincial government was overstepping its authority with the legislation.
“If provincial government people are interested in doing municipal government work, maybe they should have run for these jobs.”
However, McIver said the authority for the cabinet to overturn planning decisions had been in place for years but had never been used.
“We often remind the federal and municipal governments to stay in their lane. And occasionally, perhaps, the provincial government needs to be reminded to stay in their lane, and this is one of those examples,” he said.
The president of Alberta Municipalities, Tyler Gandam, said the organization representing more than 260 municipalities will seek clarification on the details of the bill, particularly regarding allowing the cabinet to overturn bylaws and dismiss elected councillors.
“Why? What will be the parameters for them to be able to do that?” he said, adding that it was unclear how political parties could improve city councils.
“It feels like they’re not listening to Albertans.”
Political parties to be allowed in municipal elections
The proposed changes would also enable municipal political parties in the October 2025 municipal election, but only as a “pilot project” in Calgary and Edmonton.
Under the proposed legislation, candidates are not required to join a political party in order to run for local office.
Officials said municipal parties cannot be officially affiliated with provincial or federal parties, however, the legislation will not prevent them from using names similar to existing political parties.
“Party affiliation at the local level is something that is already happening, especially in larger cities,” McIver said.
“The amendments we are making will actually create the regulatory authority for the government to define local political parties, which will allow political parties to register with a municipality.
“If and when that happens, the municipality will be required to include candidates’ political party on the local election ballot.”
But Kasawski said the municipal councils across Alberta have made it clear they don’t want political parties in local elections.
“Citizens of municipalities elect local representatives to serve the best interests of their community, not because of what color partisan flag they wave,” said the civic affairs critic.
“Danielle Smith needs to realize that municipal councils are not a farm team for the UCP to achieve their wishes at municipal level.”
Calgary Ward 13 Cllr. Dan McLean told reporters Thursday that the province is trying to formalize “what already exists,” saying many groups endorse slates of candidates during municipal elections.
However, he said he expected city councilors to remain independent within council chambers because they were elected to represent their constituents.
“I would always hope that councilors would remain independent and represent their ward, whether they are endorsed by a party that leans more towards conservative values…. or more to the left,” McLean said.
Calgary Ward 8 Cllr. Courtney Walcott questioned the province’s motives behind the legislation.
He told reporters that the new legislation will prevent independent candidates from running for local office because they will have to respond to a partisan and “divisive” political system.
Walcott also said the party system will create central ideologies and limit the ways in which councilors can represent their constituents.
“Is this really just a matter of the province trying to establish some sort of control over municipal elections, because they can’t cope with the fact that municipal councils tend to be independent and the result in the end draw is that they don’t play the party line. as much as they wish we would? Because it would make their life so much easier if other elected officials didn’t ask the questions,” he told reporters.
“I think the provincial government wants to be the central government, which is always ironic, of course, because there are so many accusations of socialism and communism. And yet, it’s just the province that seems to be trying to become sovereign from the federal government and then now trying to take control of local governments.”
Funding of the campaign expanded, tablets were banned
The legislation proposes several changes to campaign finance rules, including restoring union and corporate donations to individual candidates with a maximum of $5,000; previously banned during the last municipal election.
Donations are also permitted outside the local election year and candidates and elected officials will need to report them annually.
If the legislation is passed, third-party advertisers would report funding when campaigning on a plebiscite issue, after donations were regulated only during a third-party campaign or a candidate’s opposition during an election.
Donations to third-party advertisers would also be limited to a maximum of $5,000 during election periods. Currently, those donations are capped at $30,000.
“This way, Albertans know exactly who is donating and there will be reasonable limits that ensure fundraising doesn’t get out of hand,” McIver said.
“Alberta elections belong to Albertans, so the updates will ensure that only Albertans, Alberta companies and Alberta union locals can contribute to third-party issue-based advertising. The proposed changes will make third-party advertisers for issue-based campaigns subject to the same contribution limits as donors to local election candidates.”
Bill 20 will also remove electronic tabulations and automated voting machines if passed. All votes will have to be counted by hand.
The bill will also mandate recounts if a candidate requests them when the margin is within half a percent of the total votes cast.
Bill is an attempt to create a conservative council: a political scientist
Duane Bratt, a political scientist with Mount Royal University in Calgary, said Bill 20 is an attempt by the province to create conservative city councils in Calgary and Edmonton.
“We have had periodic discussions about political parties but not very seriously and the provincial government seems to be gung-ho about this despite public opposition. They don’t seem to be interested in doing this across the board, just in the City of Calgary and Edmonton,” he said.
“(Premier Danielle Smith) has specifically said that this is about getting rid of progressive mayors and progressive councils. This is a partisan move.”
Bratt also said the measure highlights historical tensions between municipal and state governments.
Municipal governments are in the domain of the provincial government and Bratt said Alberta can choose to repeal or amend bylaws and remove councilors if they deem it necessary.
Bratt said he wants more restrictions placed on political fundraising and removing the ability for unions and corporations to contribute to political campaigns.
“We often don’t know who is giving to a third party. Third parties are not to coordinate with campaigns … I would like to strengthen those rules significantly … But I think it’s an important step to eliminate corporate and union funding for municipal races, whether it’s direct contributions or donations to third parties parties,” he said.
“I would also like to see changes to recall legislation … I think the threshold needs to be separate, depending on whether you’re a small town, or whether you’re a big city. I think it’s necessary to do it all. I think we also need funding rules around municipal recall.”
— With files from Lisa Johnson, The Canadian Press
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