Amendments to the Business Improvement Area Regulation will take effect January 1, 2027.
Municipal Affairs has recently released amendments to the Business Improvement Area (BIA) Regulation that will come into force on January 1, 2027. The changes follow stakeholder engagement conducted in 2025 are intended to provide BIA boards and municipalities with greater flexibility and clearer standards for governance, operations, and administration while maintaining accountability to the businesses that fund and rely on them. The amendments do not alter the existing taxation framework used to fund BIAs and focus on governance and administrative matters, including BIA establishment requests, bylaw requirements, board governance, budget administration, and notice provisions.
When Bill 28 was introduced, RMA’s interpretation of the BIA-related amendments was that they would remain locally initiated and governed; however, the legislation expanded the Minister’s authority to establish regulations governing matters such as bylaw content, bylaw amendments, boundary changes, and notice requirements. As noted in RMA’s Bill 28 Analysis, these changes represented a degree of centralization of procedural oversight, as municipalities had historically determined many of these processes through local bylaws.
Members with concerns or feedback regarding the amended regulation are encouraged to contact RMA’s Policy and Advocacy team. RMA will continue to monitor implementation and raise member concerns with Municipal Affairs as necessary.
Questions regarding the regulation may be directed to Municipal Affairs at ma.aptp@gov.ab.ca.
For more information, contact RMA’s Policy and Advocacy Team at advocacy@rmalberta.com or 825.319.2383.