The RMA takes pride in representing the rural municipal perspective to provincial and federal decision-makers, industry, and other stakeholders. To further advocacy efforts, the RMA is introducing position statements that provide short descriptions of how the RMA approaches policy issues from a rural municipal perspective.
Position statements may identify concerns that the RMA has with how government is handling a policy issue, they may identify an action that government should take to better represent rural municipal interests, or they may highlight an RMA effort to advocate on an issue. Position statements are not intended to provide a detailed analysis of a policy issue, but rather to allow for a broad overview of the RMA’s advocacy priorities as defined by member resolutions and emerging issues.
Alberta’s rural municipalities are diverse, forward-thinking, and foundational to the province’s success. The RMA is proud to provide advocacy and business services that support Alberta’s rural municipalities. The RMA represents all of Alberta’s rural municipalities, and strives to serve as a resourceful, responsive and resilient advocate for rural perspectives and priorities on key policy issues at the provincial and federal level. Rural Alberta is an economic driver comprised of strong and vibrant communities that deserve a unified voice. The RMA is proud to serve in that role.
This position statement addresses the following considerations:
Rural Alberta is home to a large agriculture industry that has supported Alberta’s economy for generations. There is a broad range in the types and size of farming operations in Alberta; from small family operations to large scale facilities. This results in a diverse industry with different regulatory and operating challenges, which can also be impacted significantly by global market influences as well as unpredictable weather and climate fluctuations.
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Providing broadband and cell phone service to rural Alberta is key for attracting investment, maintaining local businesses, and allowing all Albertans to participate in the digital economy. Providing these services in rural and remote areas requires innovative strategies and partnerships, and rural municipalities strive to make their communities great places to live and invest.
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Climate change is a real and pressing concern and meaningful action is required to both mitigate and adapt to these concerns. The Government of Alberta is striving to address climate change in a way that will reduce emissions without overregulating and slowing the economy and has implemented the Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) system to encourage industrial facilities to find innovative ways to reduce emissions and invest in clean technology to stay competitive. The federal government has made climate change a priority by making strong commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and committing to net-zero emissions by 2050. These guiding policies demonstrate that rural municipalities need to be proactive in the climate change discussion.
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Community services such as broadband, policing, education, healthcare, recreation, and Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) support community viability and make rural municipalities attractive places to work, live, and grow. Although providing many of these services in rural areas requires innovative strategies and partnerships, rural municipalities strive to make their communities great places to live and invest.
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Alberta’s energy sector plays an important role in the province’s economy. RMA members are often among those impacted by new energy projects through increased municipal costs and revenues, employment opportunities, and environmental challenges. As the Government of Alberta continues to focus on economic development and attracting investment in the energy sector, rural municipalities will be responsible for hosting and supporting such infrastructure.
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Municipalities are tasked with fostering the well-being of the environment. This includes environmental considerations related to land-use planning, water management, climate change, industry development and managing growth responsibly.
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Health care is a fundamental aspect of safe and healthy rural communities. Accessing quality health care in rural Alberta presents challenges for municipalities and their residents. The RMA believes that rural Albertans deserve a voice in determining how health care services are funded and provided in their communities.
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Alberta’s industrial and resource sector is extremely important to the province’s continued economic growth and the viability of rural communities. Industrial development is often accompanied by environmental concerns, regulatory challenges, land use disputes, and impacts on other types of development.
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Municipal finances garner considerable public attention because residents and businesses are directly affected through their responsibility to pay property taxes. Councils must allot those revenues to manage aging infrastructure, allocate funding for new infrastructure, and provide services in a fiscally responsible way. Municipal financial decisions are influenced by many factors including economic conditions, service level expectations from residents and businesses, and long-term municipal goals. Increasingly, municipal finances are also shaped by a complex interplay of provincial, federal, and geopolitical factors, along with external influences such as international affairs, extreme weather events, and health crises. Municipal finances are much more than numbers; they embody the purpose and priorities of a municipality in an ever-changing environment.
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Municipal governance stands as a cornerstone of local democracy in Alberta, facilitating effective service delivery, nurturing economic development, and actively involving residents in decision-making processes. These efforts collectively create resilient communities across the province. Maintaining local governance is paramount, ensuring that decisions are tailored to meet the distinct needs of each municipality. In rural Alberta, this approach is particularly vital, as governance within each RMA member municipality is attuned to the preferences and requirements of its residents, honouring the unique essence of rural life.
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Regardless of size, type, or location, the core purpose of all municipalities is to deliver effective and efficient services to residents and businesses. While many municipal services such as water and transportation are often so central to resident and industry needs that they are taken for granted, municipalities invest tremendous amounts of money and capacity in ensuring that such services are delivered reliably and at a level that meets specific local needs. Though there are certain services that nearly all municipalities provide, the scope and level of services provided vary across municipalities and will often impact tax rates, capital investment decisions, land-use planning, and other municipal purposes. Rural municipalities often face unique service delivery challenges due to their large geographic size, dispersed population, and high level of industrial activity. As a result, the level, scope, and method of service delivery often varies between rural and urban municipalities.
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Municipalities require a source of revenue to provide services, maintain existing infrastructure, and construct new infrastructure to meet growth pressures and to enable economic development. For all municipalities in Alberta, property taxes are the largest source of revenue. Rural municipalities are highly dependent on property tax revenue from the industries operating within their boundaries, and much of the revenue collected is used to maintain the roads, bridges, and other services that industry relies on. It is critical that property assessments are conducted transparently and objectively, and that both assessment values and tax rates ensure that all property owners pay their fair share for municipal services and infrastructure. The ability to set tax rates that meet local infrastructure and service delivery needs is a core aspect of municipal autonomy.
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Municipalities play a large role in planning for the responsible use of land, both within their boundaries and regionally. Planning and development involves the appropriate use and management of land resources, provision of services and infrastructure, orderly development of new growth, management of risks, and proper decision-making models for land-related issues.
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Regardless of where in the province they live, all Albertans deserve to feel safe in their homes and communities. Like many services, policing in rural areas is accompanied by challenges related to large geographic areas and low population densities. Rural municipalities have a history of working effectively with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to support community safety, but challenges related to response time, police funding, and collaboration between police, the Government of Alberta, and municipal leaders is ongoing. As with any service, if municipalities are required to financially contribute to policing, this should result in improved service levels and greater local input.
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Alberta’s economy is largely based on an array of industries that primarily operate in rural areas, such as energy, forestry, mining, and agriculture. In recent years, sectors such as small business, tourism, manufacturing, renewable energy, and the value-added processing of natural resources and agricultural products have also become increasingly significant in rural Alberta. To sustain this development, the Government of Alberta and rural municipalities can collaborate to promote rural communities as a great place to live, work, visit, and invest.
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Rural roads, bridges, and core infrastructure such as water, wastewater, stormwater, and utility systems are vital to Alberta’s economy and quality of life. RMA members are responsible for the largest road and bridge network of any stakeholder in the province and the costs for building and maintaining transportation infrastructure is the single biggest expense for most rural municipalities.
This position statement addresses the following considerations:
