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 January 2025 edition of the Monthly Resolution Update Bulletin features the following resolutions:
Resolution 7-22F: Intermunicipal Collaboration Framework (ICF) Reform
Resolution 7-22F calls on the Government of Alberta to define “core municipal services” for the purposes of ICFs, as well as mandate that municipalities present verifiable costs to justify cost sharing for these core services. A related resolution, Resolution ER1-23F: Limiting Third-party Services in ICF Agreements, calls on the Government of Alberta to exclude third-party services from ICFs and limit funding demands from urban municipalities’ independent decisions.
Municipal Affairs has indicated that amendments to the Municipal Government Act (MGA) pertaining to ICFs are expected to be introduced in the Spring 2025 session of the Legislature. These amendments are likely to impact municipalities that are either renegotiating their ICFs or will be required to do so in the near future due to specific renegotiation timelines agreed to within individual ICFs. In contemplation of future amendments to the MGA, Ministerial Order No. 024/23 extended the period for renegotiating ICFs from five years per s. 708.32(1) of the MGA to seven years from the date on which initial ICFs were finalized. For more information, please see RMA’s update regarding ICF renegotiation timelines.
In January 2025, Municipal Affairs began consulting with both RMA and ABmunis regarding potential legislative amendments that will impact the renegotiations of ICFs. RMA is pleased that the Government of Alberta is consulting with Alberta’s municipal associations on this important topic and will continue to advocate for the rural municipal perspective and the changes contemplated by both Resolution 7-22F and Resolution ER1-23F.
Resolution 2-22S: Negative Impact of Carbon Tax on Rural Albertans & Resolution 16-22F: Exemption of Natural Gas and Propane for Agriculture Under the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act
Resolution 2-22S calls attention to the potential negative impacts of the Carbon Tax (Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act) to rural Alberta by charging the RMA with producing an economic impact analysis report and urging the Government of Canada to amend the Act. The impact analysis, available to read here on RMA’s website, examined impacts to municipalities, households and industry viability in rural Alberta. Although part of this resolution was fulfilled through the creation of this report, the federal government has not responded to either the resolution or the report. Resolution 2-22S was assigned a status of Accepted in Part and expires in April 2025.
A related resolution, 16-22F, calls for amendments to the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act to allow fuel exemptions for agricultural producers. Bill C-234, an act to amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, passed third reading in the Senate on December 12, 2023. Although it has yet to receive royal assent, the bill was passed by the Senate with amendments but is yet to be passed as amended by the House of Commons. The proposed amendments to the bill seek to remove clauses that would exempt carbon taxes from propane and natural gas used to heat or cool barns and livestock buildings and dry grain – extending the carbon tax exemptions available to farmers on gasoline and diesel. If this bill is passed with the proposed amendments, farmers and ranchers would no longer have such exemptions and would incur additional costs to maintain their livestock and/or crops. This resolution is assigned a status of Intent Not Met and expires in December 2025.
RMA will continue to look for updates on the status of Bill C-234 and will continue advocating on the issues presented in both resolutions.
Resolution 17-23F: Sustainable Community Hospice Funding Model
Resolution 17-23F calls on the Government of Alberta to implement a sustainable operational funding model for hospice services provided by community hospice societies across the province. At the time of writing, end of life care is provided in a range of settings that include hospitals, long term care facilities, free standing hospices, and homes. Clinical end-of life care may be funded though agreements with Alberta Health Services, however, most of the services offered by community hospice societies are funded through donations and one-off grants. Community hospice societies across the province provide an array of end-of-life services that include clinical care and grief and bereavement programs that support individuals and their families.
RMA began work on this resolution with ABmunis, who has an identical resolution. RMA and ABmunis sent a list of jointly developed principles intended to guide the creation of a sustainable community hospice society to the Health Minister. RMA learned more about the work community hospice societies do in the province from the Alberta Hospice Palliative Care Association as they represent community hospice societies across the province. In December 2024, RMA released a report making a case to the provincial government for why a sustainable funding model is needed. The report provided recommendations on how to create this funding model and highlighted how end-of-life care is less resourced in rural Alberta. Read the report here.
RMA awaits the Government of Alberta’s response to the report, which has generated positive attention in the media. RMA will continue to advocate on this resolution.
Stay tuned for future editions of the Monthly Resolution Update Bulletin, where RMA will continue to feature updates on selected resolutions.
Warren Noga
Manager of Policy and Research
825.319.2285
warren@RMAlberta.com