WHEREAS Section 10 (1) of the Local Authorities Election Act, RSA 2000, c.L sets out the term of office for elected officials and provides that the members of an elected authority shall be elected at a general election and shall hold office for a term of three years;AND WHEREAS a significant amount of the term may be required for new councillors to become oriented to the job, leaving a lesser portion of the term for members to feel fully confident in the processes and capabilities of their jobs;AND WHEREAS the costs associated with a general election and the costs of orientation of new councillors are significant;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties request the Government of Alberta to amend the Local Authorities Election Act to provide that the members of an elected authority elected at a general election hold office for a term of four years and a general election shall be held every fourth year.

It takes one full year for a new councillor to become familiar with the requirements of their position and the workings of a local government body. Under the current three-year term, this leaves only two years within which a councillor can feel fully comfortable in the municipal government environment and begin to feel confidence in their roles. Further, as a large portion of the third year of a term may be dedicated to re-election for a subsequent term, this leaves limited opportunities for a councillor to concentrate on the work necessary to achieve their goals as an elected official.A four-year term would:provide greater opportunities for a councillor to become orientated to the municipal setting and to achieve their objectives,allow the significant costs of a general election and of council orientation following each general election to be spread over four years rather than the current three years, andprovide a four-year planning cycle for both administration and politicians.It takes one full year for a new councillor to become familiar with the requirements of their position and the workings of a local government body. Under the current three-year term, this leaves only two years within which a councillor can feel fully comfortable in the municipal government environment and begin to feel confidence in their roles. Further, as a large portion of the third year of a term may be dedicated to re-election for a subsequent term, this leaves limited opportunities for a councillor to concentrate on the work necessary to achieve their goals as an elected official.A four-year term would:provide greater opportunities for a councillor to become orientated to the municipal setting and to achieve their objectives,allow the significant costs of a general election and of council orientation following each general election to be spread over four years rather than the current three years, andprovide a four-year planning cycle for both administration and politicians.