The Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act (Bill 50) has recently been tabled in the legislature.
Bill 50, the Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act, 2025, proposes changes to numerous key municipal processes, and if passed, the Bill will amend three major pieces of legislation: the Local Authorities Election Act (LAEA), the Municipal Government Act (MGA), and the New Home Buyer Protection Act (NHBPA).
The proposed legislation would make the following changes to the MGA:
- Clarifying the services required to be included in intermunicipal collaborative frameworks (ICFs)
- Establishing cost-sharing rules and data requirements related to the development of ICFs
- Exclusion of legislated third-party services in ICFs
- Clarifying requirements for mutual input and support among neighbouring municipalities for new capital costs addressed in ICFs
- Allowing neighbouring rural municipalities to opt out of ICFs if mutually agreed upon
- Clarifying arbitration rules when addressing cost- and service-sharing disagreements between neighbouring municipalities
- Removing councillor code of conduct requirements
- Introducing requirements for the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to report to Council on all uses of natural person powers
- Introducing requirements for the CAO to share information with members of Council upon request
The proposed legislation would make the following changes to the LAEA:
- Updating local political party campaign finance rules
- Enabling elector assistance terminals in local elections
- Refining recount procedures and clarifying rules for candidates who withdraw from local elections
- Allowing Jasper residents displaced by wildfires to vote and run in Jasper’s local elections this fall
The proposed legislation would make the following changes to the NHBPA:
- Changing the approval process for owner-builders
- Expanding exemptions for home sales
- Placing a caveat on homes built and sold without warranty but under exemption
- Reintroducing appeal processes for homebuyer-related decisions
- Establishing a homebuyer protection advisory group
Initial Reaction
Many of the changes made in Bill 50 related to ICFs align with RMA’s advocacy positions based on challenges faced by rural municipalities during the initial round of ICF negotiations. The proposed changes reintroduce a list of five mandatory services that must be considered within ICFs. While additional services may still be included, only the mandatory services are eligible for arbitration. This means that other services can only be incorporated if both municipalities agree that they are intermunicipal and mutually consent to the terms.
Another key change is the expectation that municipalities will back their positions with data. While RMA is still reviewing the specifics of data requirements and potential recourse for poor-quality or unused data, we view this expectation as a positive step toward a more data-driven approach.
Other updates include clearer language regarding legislated third-party services – such as policing and libraries – that cannot be included in ICFs, as well as a more focused scope for arbitration. Additionally, municipalities can no longer request funding from neighbouring municipalities for new capital projects unless the neighbour is involved in the design and construction process.
A major change introduced in Bill 50 is the removal of codes of conduct. RMA is currently seeking further clarification from government on the reasoning behind this decision and exploring potential next steps for managing council conduct issues.
Finally, Bill 50 introduces changes related to CAO reporting and information-sharing. While the intent is to improve CAO accountability, these changes could have unintended consequences for CAOs and their reporting obligations. Again, RMA is seeking clarity from government and administrator associations as to the reasoning for and impacts of these changes.
RMA is in the process of reviewing the Bill and will provide members with more comprehensive analysis of the changes and the potential impacts on rural municipalities in the near future.
Jared Shaigec
Policy Advisor
825.319.2312
jared@rmalberta.com
Wyatt Skovron
General Manager of Policy & Advocacy
780.955.4096
wyatt@rmalberta.com