Public Safety and Emergency Services (PSES) will be hosting a technical webinar on the Police Funding Model (PFM) on October 15, 2026, from 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm for RMA members. The purpose of this session is for PSES to provide municipal elected officials and senior administrative staff with information regarding the technical design and implementation of the PFM. The session will include a presentation from Deputy Minister Justin Krikler and department staff, followed by an opportunity for questions and discussion.
This session is only open to rural municipal elected and senior administrative officials. Those interested can register at this link.
Please note that this session is intended to address implementations questions for the updated PFM: it will focus on technical design and implementation. While RMA understands that members of significant concerns and unanswered questions about the policy decision to implement the PFM, PSES has indicated that this webinar will not revisit policy decisions related to the model. Members are encouraged to share technical questions they would like considered during the session. Submit them to RMA’s Policy and Advocacy Team at advocacy@rmalberta.com by October 1, 2026, and they will be forwarded to PSES in advance.
Information about the Police Funding Model
The PFM was implemented by the Government of Alberta in 2020. It requires rural and small urban municipalities that receive police services under the Provincial Police Services Agreement (PPSA) to contribute a share of the total cost of the PPSA.
Since its inception, RMA has advocated for changes to the PFM to address several critical deficiencies, including:
- The PFM is inequitable to rural municipalities, as many pay significantly more towards policing in comparison to urban neighbours despite similar or lower populations and a lower level of service.
- The PFM lacks any connection between cost contributions and service levels; in its current form, the PFM doesn’t represent a provincial/municipal partnership.
- The PFM contains no transparency or accountability provisions as to how municipal funds are spent or if/how they have contributed to improved policing service levels.
More information on the PFM is available at Police Funding Model Review – Member Guide (May 2025) and Funding Model Member Resource.
For more information, contact RMA’s Policy and Advocacy Team at advocacy@rmalberta.com or 825.319.2383.