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Alberta Municipal Affairs and Elections Alberta have developed a variety of resources in advance of next year’s municipal election and possible senate election process

In advance of next year’s municipal elections (scheduled for October 18, 2021), both Alberta Municipal Affairs and Elections Alberta have developed resources to help prepare municipalities for accommodating the nomination and election process under the updated Local Authority Elections Act (LAEA), as well as a possible senate election vote that is likely to be held in conjunction with municipal elections.

LAEA Resources
Alberta Municipal Affairs has published six implementation fact sheets on several components of the municipal election process that have been amended through legislative changes earlier this year. Topics covered include:

• Accountability and transparency amendments


• Campaign finance and contribution disclosure amendments


• General clarifying and technical amendments


• Third party advertising amendments


• Voter accessibility amendments


• Frequently asked questions

Senate Election Resources
A senate election is likely to be held in conjunction with next year’s municipal elections. The Alberta Senate Election Act allows the Government of Alberta to hold a senate election in conjunction with local authority elections. Hosting a senate election in conjunction with a municipal election will place increased requirements on municipalities. To assist municipalities in understanding their responsibilities and preparing for a senate election, Elections Alberta has provided an information document for municipalities, which outlines the senate nomination and election process, as well as the role of Elections Alberta, Alberta Municipal Affairs, and individual municipalities. Elections Alberta has also provided a PowerPoint with similar information.

Wyatt Skovron
Senior Policy Advisor
wyatt@RMAlberta.com

Tasha Blumenthal
Director of External Relations & Advocacy
tasha@RMAlberta.com

RMA’s resolution deadline for the 2020 Fall Convention was Friday, October 2, 2020. Any resolutions being brought forward after this date are considered emergent.

As per RMA Resolution Process policy, an emergent resolution is defined as a resolution submitted to RMA after the resolution deadline (October 2, 2020 for the 2020 Fall Convention) that addresses a subject or problem that has arisen subsequent to the resolution deadline.

Due to the virtual nature of this year's resolutions session, the deadline for submitting emergent resolutions is 3:00 pm on Friday, October 30. Any emergent resolutions submitted after this deadline will not be considered by the RMA Resolutions Committee.

The RMA Resolutions Committee will meet on Monday, November 2 to review submitted emergent resolutions to determine if they meet the definition of “emergent” as outlined in the RMA Resolution Process policy. RMA staff will inform the sponsoring municipalities of the Committee’s decision and whether the resolution has been added to the order paper on Monday, November 2.

Emergent resolutions should be submitted in Microsoft Word format to RMA Senior Policy Advisor Wyatt Skovron at wyatt@RMAlberta.com.

Wyatt Skovron
Senior Policy Advisor
wyatt@RMAlberta.com

Tasha Blumenthal
Director of External Relations & Advocacy
tasha@RMAlberta.com

The resolutions that will be presented during the resolution session at the RMA 2020 Fall Convention are now available. Click here for the complete resolution package.

Resolution Amendments
Any members wishing to propose amendments to resolutions included in the attached resolutions package are encouraged to email proposed amendments to RMA Senior Policy Advisor Wyatt Skovron at wyatt@RMAlberta.com, noting the resolution number.

Due to the virtual delivery of this year's resolutions session, submitting proposed amendments in advance is strongly recommended.

Wyatt Skovron
Senior Policy Advisor
wyatt@RMAlberta.com

Tasha Blumenthal
Director of External Relations & Advocacy
tasha@RMAlberta.com

 

Learn more about FCM’s Toward Parity Initiative through this unique webinar series

Toward Parity in Municipal Politics is an initiative the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) initiated in 2018. In Canada, women occupy 18% of mayor / reeve positions and 28% of councillor seats. The goal of Toward Parity is to shift those numbers upward.

FCM recently released Run, Win, and Lead: Toward Parity in Municipal Politics, which provides a sector-wide vision on the challenges and the opportunities that individuals, local governments, communities, stakeholders, and regional bodies can adapt and implement to increase participation of women in municipal politics.

A virtual webinar series focused on Run, Win, and Lead is being offered by FCM. The series will profile a few of the communities from across Canada who implemented demonstration projects to encourage women of all identities and backgrounds to participate in municipal government.

All webinars will take place from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm and each will feature different municipalities.

• October 13, 2020 - Register here
  
  
  
  • Will feature Moose Jaw, SK “Our Voice, Our Province”, Prince George, BC “Inspiring Women Among Us”, and Hamilton, ON “Reaching for Power”
  
  
  
  


• October 22, 2020 - Register here
  
  
  
  • Will feature Chestermere, AB “Inclusion, Support and Diversity”, St. Catherines, ON “A Seat at the Table”, and Moncton, NB “Planting the Seed”
  
  
  
  


• October 27, 2020 - Register here
  
  
  
  • Will feature Eastern Nova Scotia “Elect Her”, Prescott-Russell, ON “Pourquoi pas moi?”, and Winkler, MB “Empowering Women’s Voices”
  
  
  
  

After registering, participants will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

For more information visit: RMAlberta.com

Tasha Blumenthal
Director of External Relations & Advocacy
780.055.4094
tasha@RMAlberta.com

Do More Agriculture Foundation is now accepting applications from groups to host mental health workshops in 2021

Do More Ag is now accepting applications from groups interested in hosting agriculture mental health workshops in 2021. The workshops are provided free of charge through the Community Fund for Mental Health, which is funded by Farm Credit Canada and other Do More Ag partners.

The application is an opportunity for municipalities to host an in-person session of the same material covered in a webinar RMA shared last week. This free workshop provides information on topics such as:

• The signs and symptoms of mental illness, anxiety, depression, stress, and substance use, including the unique factors that the agriculture industry experiences in these areas


• How to prepare and have conversations with someone who you identify may be experiencing a mental health challenge


• How to support others and yourself, and how to access resources


• Self-care and prevention strategies for mental wellness

Warren Noga
Policy Advisor
780.955.4079
warren@RMAlberta.com   

Tasha Blumenthal
Director of External Relations and Advocacy
780.955.4094
tasha@RMAlberta.com   

Learn what municipal roles are in renewable energy

Accelerating Implementation of Renewable Energy (AIRE) is a two-year project designed to help municipalities reach emission reduction targets by enabling investment in local renewable energy projects. The project will give municipalities information and tools to better assess and communicate renewable energy opportunities and adapt to changes in technology and policy.

AIRE will be hosting a free webinar in partnership with the Community Energy Knowledge Action Partnership (CEKAP) and the University of Guelph to discuss the changing role of municipalities in energy supply planning and system implementation.

The webinar is broken down into three sections:

1. AIRE will provide an analysis of the increased perception that a stronger role for local governments will result in improved outcomes in renewable energy implementation.


2. AIRE will provide an overview of the various roles municipalities can play in helping accelerate implementation of renewable energy.


3. AIRE will provide an overview on the various roles, innovative mechanisms, and collaborations that are happening within municipalities.

The webinar will be held on October 21, 2020 at 11:00 am. Please register online in advance.

Alex Mochid
Policy Advisor
780.955.4085
alex@RMAlberta.com   

Tasha Blumenthal
Director of Advocacy and External Relations
780.955.4094
tasha@RMAlberta.com