The Government of Alberta is seeking feedback from municipalities regarding municipal recall legislation.
As part of a broader engagement, Alberta Municipal Affairs has distributed a survey seeking municipal insights on potential changes to the recall process for municipal elected officials. Under the Municipal Government Act (MGA), recall has been available since the 2021 general election. Currently, a petition requires signatures from 40 percent of the municipality’s population, and petitions cannot be submitted during an election year or within 18 months of an official’s election.
The survey focuses on two main areas:
- Threshold considerations
- Should the required signature percentage change?
- Which population figure should determine eligibility (total population, eligible voters, or voter turnout)?
- Recall processes
In June, RMA participated in a meeting facilitated by Municipal Affairs, attended by RMA, ABmunis, and select municipal representatives. At the meeting, participants responded to questions included in the survey regarding threshold considerations and recall procedures. RMA also provided a formal submission, summarized below as a guide for members completing the survey:
- The recall system must be fair, equitable and precisely defined through legislation and regulations.
- The threshold for launching a recall should be reasonable – low enough to hold officials accountable but high enough to protect democratic integrity.
- Recalls should only be triggered for clear, serious breaches:
- Contravention of the Municipal Government Act (MGA)
- Contravention of the Local Authorities Election Act (LAEA)
- Commission of a legal offence
- Any additional grounds must be explicitly outlined in legislation to prevent frivolous or vexatious petitions.
- Thresholds should not be considered in isolation – they should be set in balance with other recall rules (e.g., advertising and fundraising limits):
- Tighter petition criteria and stricter fundraising/advertising rules may justify a lower signature threshold.
- Broader grounds or fewer restrictions may require a higher threshold to proceed.
- RMA supports basing the recall threshold on the percentage of eligible voters within the municipality or ward.
- RMA deferred to Municipal Affairs to setting a recall petition threshold – recognizing that the ministry possesses the technical expertise, electoral data access, and overarching policy mandate to determine an appropriate percentage – while insisting that the threshold be low enough to address legitimate concerns and high enough to safeguard the integrity of municipal democracy.
- RMA was in support of an explicit ban on gifts or financial incentives in recall petitions, supported by strong penalties for undue influence and a review to ensure these enforcement measures suit municipal contexts.
- While advertising is a fundamental component of a recall process, it must be subject to clear regulations to restrict third-party spending, ensure transparent funding, and enforce content rules mirroring the petition’s stated grounds, thus safeguarding the process from undue influence, misinformation, and unfair attacks on councillors.
- The fundraising process must be governed by clear and enforceable rules to maintain transparency, accountability, and public confidence. Expenses associated with recall petitions must also be clearly defined and should be incurred directly by the petitioner.
- RMA firmly opposes any involvement by political parties in initiating, promoting, or financially supporting recall petition campaigns.
- There should be clear, enforceable penalties targeting petition organizers who misuse or improperly share personal data collected during the recall process. Organizers are entrusted with sensitive personal information from residents, and safeguards are essential to ensure that trust is not abused.
- Petition organizers should be required to adhere to privacy and security requirements when handling personal data, recognizing that they are not public officials but are managing sensitive data. RMA recommended, at minimum, implementing physical safeguards, access controls, and data retention requirements.
- RMA considers the revised recall petition timelines under Bill 54 to be reasonable and acceptable and is supportive of educing the restriction from 18 months to 12 months after an election is a reasonable amendment, while maintaining restriction on petitions within 12 months of a scheduled election.
- The 60-day signature collection period should remain unchanged as it balances democratic accountability with political stability, ensures timely, broad-based public concern, and there has been no evidence or data provided to justify extending the timeline.
- The legislation should be amended to require all recall petitions be submitted, even if they lack sufficient signatures. Doing so supports accountability, helps protect the personal information of signatories, and may help restore a councillor’s reputation by showing limited public support for the recall.
- There should be clear, enforceable penalties for petitioners who fail to submit a recall petition. Petition organizers are entrusted with residents’ sensitive personal information and safeguards are essential to prevent misuse. Recall petitions also have the potential to cause significant reputational harm to councillors, and in the event of an unsuccessful petition, organizers should be required to return the petition to disclose the level of support, enhancing public accountability.
- RMA supports the introduction of standardized guidelines and training for all parties involved in municipal recall petition processes. Clear roles, responsibilities, and conduct expectations for petitioners, municipal staff, elected officials, and Municipal Affairs are essential to ensure due process, prevent misuse, and protect the integrity of municipal governance.
- RMA supports requiring a clear, vetted rationale on every petition form to ensure transparency and informed consent, prevent frivolous or vexatious petitions, and safeguard municipal resources and councillors’ reputations.
- RMA supports the establishment of clear criteria to determine whether a rationale for a recall petition is valid. Clear, objective criteria are essential to maintain the integrity of the process and ensure that councillor recall is not used as a political tool but rather as a legitimate accountability mechanism.
If members have questions regarding RMA’s submission or positions on potential amendments to legislation affecting recall of a municipal elected official, they are encouraged to contact Jared Shaigec, RMA Policy Advisor.
The survey takes 15 minutes to complete and can be accessed here. The survey is open to elected officials and senior administrators. Municipalities may complete the survey as a group, or individuals may complete and submit a survey response on their own. All feedback is anonymous will not be linked back to any individuals.
Please note: The requested date of completion included in the survey is June 20, 2025. Due to a technical error, this cannot be corrected. Municipal Affairs is requesting the survey be completed by August 8, 2025.
For more information regarding the survey or engagement, email Alberta Municipal Affairs: ma.engagement@gov.ab.ca
Jared Shaigec
Policy Advisor
825.319.2312
jared@rmalberta.com
Wyatt Skovron
General Manager of Policy & Advocacy
780.955.4096
wyatt@rmalberta.com