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Preamble:
WHEREAS the Government of Alberta regulates the registry industry through the Registry Agents’ Regulation by capping the fee amounts for the largest‑volume services provided by Alberta registry agents; and
WHEREAS most of these fees have not been adjusted since 2005; and
WHEREAS Alberta registry agents offer essential professional, personalized, and secure over the counter and online services to clients near their homes, a fact of significant importance to aging rural Alberta clients with distance-restricted driver’s licenses and/or without the ability to use the internet; and
WHEREAS the closure of ten rural registry agents since 2021 has negatively impacted accessibility to government services in rural Alberta, as well as local economic growth, employment, and rural sustainability; and
WHEREAS rural registry offices, particularly those that service smaller populations, typically operate at a loss compared to urban based registry offices as demonstrated by an independent analysis by KPMG in 2010 that shows that a registry agent operating in locations that serve populations fewer than 500 loses $4,000 annually by providing registry services; and
WHEREAS the Government of Alberta has a responsibility to ensure access to essential government services for all residents, regardless of geographic location; and
WHEREAS the sustainability of rural registry agents is critical to maintaining service delivery, supporting rural economic stability, and upholding the Government of Alberta’s service commitments; and
WHEREAS without a sustainable fee model, rural registry agents face increasing risk of closure.
Operative Clause:
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Rural Municipalities of Alberta advocate to the Government of Alberta to recognize the vital role of Alberta registry agents in the delivery of essential government services to all Albertans, particularly in rural communities; and
FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that the Government of Alberta recognize the positive impact of registry agents in rural Alberta communities through the implementation of a fair and equitable fee model that reflects cost of living, inflation, and minimum wage increases.
Member Background:
Alberta registry agents are the authorized delivery channel for over 200 products and services on behalf of five Government of Alberta Ministries: Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, Justice, Hospital and Surgical Health Services, Treasury Board and Finance, and Transportation and Economic Corridors. There are 197 Alberta Association of Registry Agents (AARA) member agents in 137 Alberta communities — 75% of which are in rural or small urban jurisdictions.
Importance to Albertans: Serving 137 communities across the province, the registry agent network ensures most Albertans have access to government services close to home through a network that employs nearly 1,500 people. Registry staff are qualified, trained, and certified to meet high customer expectations. Registry agents have continued to invest in the industry to meet new technology requirements, population growth, etc. The industry is prepared to and needs to continue to modernize and expand online services to keep pace with market, economic, and political conditions.
Albertans themselves value access to in-person registry services. In a survey completed on behalf of the AARA, with 92% of respondents indicated it was important to have access to government services in their communities and over 90% of Albertans felt that it would have a negative impact on their communities if their local registry agent were to close.
Importance to Independent Registry Agents: A healthy registry agent network is best positioned to serve the diverse needs of all Albertans. A sense of financial stability with long- term assurance of sustainability underpins agents’ ability to make solid business decisions.
While registry agents received a fee increase in 2020 on 13 services, they have not received a much-needed capped fee increase on most other services in 20 years. This limits agents from keeping pace with cost-of-living increases, hiring experienced staff and threatens the ability for rural registry agents to keep their doors open.
Furthermore, rural registry offices, particularly those that service smaller populations, typically operate at a loss compared to urban based registry offices as demonstrated by an independent analysis by KPMG in 2010 that shows that a registry agent operating in locations that serve populations fewer than 500 loses $4,000 annually by providing registry services.
Importance to the AARA: The AARA provides important member services that improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the registry agent network and, by doing so, improves service to all Albertans.
Importance to Service Alberta: Having a secure, healthy private online network to be the delivery of Government Services in each community is key to the ease of access for Albertans. The health of the registry agent network is threatened if registries are kept out of online service delivery and cannot earn revenue from these high-volume services.
RMA Background:
RMA has no active resolutions directly related to this issue.
Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction
Thank you for your letter regarding Resolution 8-25F: Sustainable Fee Model for Alberta Registry Agents to Protect Rural Service Access.
As you’re aware, more than 200 Alberta registry agents provide services to Albertans in over 150 communities across the province. They play an essential role in local economies by supporting jobs and providing convenient in-person access to government services, particularly in rural communities. To strengthen this network, the government has introduced new opportunities for registry agents to offer additional services such as the Seniors Discount Program, the Electric Vehicle Tax, and Affordability Payments. Our work continues to explore further opportunities for registry agents to deliver government services in the future.
In 2024, the Registry Agent Public Advisory Panel was established in response to concerns from the Alberta Motor Association and the Association of Alberta Registry Agents about sustainability of registry agents. These concerns include the gap between the current maximum service charges and the rising costs of delivering registry services, as well as challenges unique to rural agents. The Panel provided recommendations that align with the Rural Municipalities of Alberta’s Resolution 8-25F.
No final decisions have been made regarding registry agent fees or a consistent review mechanism for fee increases. While further details can’t be shared at this time, I can confirm that the matter is being carefully considered, and I am looking forward to sharing an update soon.
Thank you for your ongoing dedication and work to represent the interests of rural municipalities.
Development:
Ensuring that government services remain reasonably accessible to all Albertans is a core provincial responsibility. These services should be delivered in a manner that balances operational costs with the needs of the communities they support. Unfortunately, the current fee model – largely unchanged since 2005 – has contributed to the closure of several rural registry agents, resulting in diminished access to essential services across rural Alberta.
This resolution calls on the Government of Alberta (GOA) to revise the fee model to prevent further closures of registry agents and other government service providers, helping ensure that rural Albertans continue to receive equitable access to these services.
While it is encouraging that the minister has indicated the issue is under active review and that updates will be provided soon, the government’s intended direction remains unclear. This uncertainty is heightened by the limited publicly available information regarding the Registry Agent Public Advisory Panel.
Although the Panel appears to play a central role in assessing sustainability challenges, there is little accessible information outlining its mandate, responsibilities, or recommendations on GOA platforms. This lack of transparency is concerning. RMA has contacted the Ministry of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction to request further clarity on the Panel’s scope, responsibilities, and ongoing work.
As the requirements of the resolution remain unfulfilled, RMA has assigned it a status of Intent Not Met. RMA remains committed to ongoing, constructive engagement with the GOA to ensure that rural communities retain reliable access to the government services they depend on.
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