To improve reporting on resolution advocacy, the RMA is releasing a monthly bulletin highlighting recent actions undertaken on select active resolutions.
The Monthly Resolution Update Bulletin is a way of routinely highlighting a selection of the over 70 currently active resolutions, offering members a more detailed insight into the work being carried out on their behalf. For the latest formal statuses and reactions to all resolutions, view the RMA’s Resolutions Database.
The February 2025 edition of the Monthly Resolution Update Bulletin features the following resolutions:
Resolution 5-24S: Legislation Consultation with Municipalities
Over the past several years, the province has introduced numerous legislative amendments that affected municipalities’ governance structures, infrastructure renewal projects, procurement processes, and overall financial outlook. Unfortunately, the province frequently engaged in little to no consultation with municipalities or municipal associations before these changes were tabled in the legislature. This issue was particularly evident in 2024 with the introduction of Bills 18 and 20.
Meaningful consultation with municipalities is required to build effective legislation. Resolution 5-24S calls on the Government of Alberta to notify RMA and ABMunis at least one year before the effective date of any legislation, regulation, or administrative action that would decrease municipal revenue or increase municipal expenditures. Similar legislation already exists in Nova Scotia, PEI, Ontario, BC, and Yukon. Relevant excerpts can be reviewed on the Resolution Database page for Resolution 5-24S. It is time for Alberta to adopt similar measures to ensure municipalities have a voice in legislative amendments that impact them.
Although the Government of Alberta regularly engages RMA on policy changes in some cases, we have seen consultation timeframes become shorter, and multiple concurrent engagements have made it difficult to assess fiscal impacts. The government’s response to this resolution indicated no intention to amend the Municipal Government Act to improve consultation requirements. Despite this, RMA remains committed to advocating for earlier notification of legislative changes affecting municipal revenue and expenditures, ensuring municipalities have the time and opportunity to provide meaningful input.
Resolution 7-24F: Improved Water License Approval and Compliance Processes
Recent discussions surrounding water management in Alberta have been framed by the 2024 drought and subsequent water sharing agreements, the Auditor General’s report on surface water management and the provincial Water Availability Engagement which closed for input in January 2025. Water management in Alberta is understandably a top concern for rural municipalities and Resolution 7-24F exemplifies this by highlighting issues surrounding industry freshwater usage, especially during periods of drought. The resolution also calls on the Government of Alberta to mandate that Environment and Protected Areas (EPA) maintains sole authority to approve water licenses.
Although the Government of Alberta response to this resolution acknowledges some of the concerns and requests highlighted in Resolution 7-24F, the response does not address the lack of adherence to Directive 077 concerning the requirement for industry applicants to consider all other alternative water sources intended to discourage the use of freshwater. Additionally, the government response does not address one of Resolution 7-24F’s operative clauses which calls for amendments to the Responsible Energy Development Act that would ensure license granting authority for only EPA instead of the Alberta Energy Regulator as well.
The Auditor General’s report on Surface Water management, released in July 2024, also highlights issues surrounding licensing and compliance-monitoring processes. According to the report, license approval decisions are not adequately transparent and many licensing guidelines are too non-specific, challenging municipalities’ ability to hold both the provincial government and large and/or industry license holders accountable towards water usage compliance. Read through RMA’s backgrounder on the Auditor General’s report here.
Although this resolution is assigned a status of Intent Not Met, RMA will continue seeking out opportunities for input, including through Phase 2 of the Water Availability Engagement by providing meaningful feedback on behalf of rural municipalities concerning the issues highlighted in Resolution 7-24F.
Resolution 4-22S: Continued Support for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Alberta & Resolution 12-24F: Accountability in the Establishment of an Independent Agency Police Service in Alberta
Rural municipalities across the province are policed by the RCMP. They want this to continue. Given rural municipalities’ reliance on the RCMP for policing, the Government of Alberta’s discussions around an independent provincial police service raise concerns. Through resolutions 4-22S and 12-24F, RMA is advocating for transparency and accountability in policing decisions to ensure rural Albertan’s needs are prioritized.
RMA sits on the Alberta Interim Police Advisory Board (AIPAB), ending early in 2025, as the province transitions to a Provincial Police Advisory Board (PPAB) in March 2025. RMA continues to advocate for increased local representation. Although the Government of Alberta appears to have taken a step back from actively pursuing the Alberta Provincial Police Service (APPS), they have made numerous other policing announcements that change policing in the province. In March 2024, the Government of Alberta introduced Bill 11, the Public Safety Statutes Amendment Act. Bill 11 enables the creation of a new independent agency police service that would operate alongside local police. The bill also changes the scope of Alberta Sheriffs and Peace Officers. In February 2025, Minister Ellis, the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services requested Alberta Sheriffs become more involved in policing the Alberta, Canada – United States border. RMA continues to monitor this news closely.
On a related note, the Police Funding Model (PFM), which determines municipal financial contributions to policing under the Provincial Police Service Agreement, has been extended to Spring 2026. RMA is preparing for PFM engagement with the Ministry of Public Safety and Emergency Services in Spring 2025. You can expect more PFM resources to roll out in the upcoming months.
Stay tuned for future editions of the Monthly Resolution Update Bulletin, where we will continue to feature updates on selected resolutions.
Warren Noga
Manager of Policy and Research
825.319.2285
warren@RMAlberta.com