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Preamble:
WHEREAS municipal elections in Alberta have been predominantly free from political party influence; and
WHEREAS this non-partisan structure has afforded local elected officials the autonomy to debate and vote on municipal issues based on the best interests of their community; and
WHEREAS the Government of Alberta is considering formalizing political parties at the municipal level; and
WHEREAS formalizing political parties at the municipal level would restrict individual elected officials from independently pursuing the best interests of the municipality but instead bind them by the ideology of the political party they represent; and
WHEREAS the current Local Authorities Elections Act does not explicitly restrict political party influence in local elections.
Operative Clause:
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) advocate to the Government of Alberta to refrain from formalizing partisan politics in local government elections;
FURTHER, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the RMA advocate for the Government of Alberta to amend the Local Authorities Elections Act (LAEA) to prohibit partisanship from infiltrating local elections or politics in any way including political party endorsements of local candidates, donations directly or indirectly from political parties to local candidates, or by way of any other influence.
Member Background:
Local government elected officials are closer to the people they represent than those of any other form of government. These representatives also live in their community, which is not always the case for those elected provincially or federally. Local representatives interact with their citizens often, are accountable to their citizens and are easily accessible.
On any community issue they face, these local elected officials bring their experience and what they believe is best for the overall community and express this through their debate and vote. This is critical in local government and plays a big part in why local government is the most accountable and efficient form of government.
Partisanship in local politics would be a disappointment. No longer could our local elected officials vote on what they believe is best for the community, but instead, they would be beholden to vote based on the ideology of the political party they represent. In the few cases where elected officials in non-local governments dare vote on what they feel is in the best interests of their constituents rather than by their parties’ ideologies, they have been alienated by the party. This has the effect of leaving their constituents frustrated with the feeling their voice has been further eroded.
For our municipalities to remain efficient, effective and accountable, it is critical that we leave no room for partisan politics.
RMA Background:
RMA has no active resolutions directly related to this issue.
Municipal Affairs
Bill 20: Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act, 2024, amends the Local Authorities Election Act to allow for the creation of municipal political parties. This is intended to provide transparency for electors to select candidates who identify with a local political party platform. It will also establish rules for political party registration, candidate endorsement, financial contributions, and financial disclosures through a regulation. The regulation will be completed in fall 2024. Municipal political parties cannot be affiliated with a provincial or federal political party, and candidates may choose to run independently without affiliation to a political party. For the next general elections in October 2025, political parties will be limited to the cities of Calgary and Edmonton.
Development:
The Government of Alberta’s response indicates that political parties at the municipal level will proceed as planned, despite RMA’s advocacy and widespread public disapproval of the change. While political parties are being trialed in Calgary and Edmonton for the 2025 election, they may be expanded in the future to encompass other municipalities as well.
Two regulations related to municipal parties were released in fall 2024: the Local Political Parties and Slates Regulation (LPPSR), and the Expense Limits Regulation (ELR).
The ELR creates expense limits for local candidates and third-party advertisers across Alberta, while introducing similar limits for local political parties in Edmonton and Calgary. The regulations specify expense limits during both the year of the election as well as non-election years. These new limits tie campaign expense limits to municipal populations and automatically adjust with changes in population over time.
The Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act (Bill 50) passed in April 2025. Bill 50 amends the LAEA to align with changes promised by the GOA regarding municipal political parties, while greatly expanding funding amounts and uses granted to municipal political parties and their candidates. Bill 50 formalized the funding and expense rules laid out in the LPPSR and ELR within the LAEA itself, establishing it as law specifically for municipal elecitons.
Candidates in municipal elections may now share campaign funds and expenses between themselves and their political party to a seemingly unlimited amount, greatly increasing the potential for disproportionate spending on individual campaigns. Contributions to political parties and candidates may now also include money, personal property, real property, and services – widely expanding from simple currency. These contributions may also now be used for any purpose that may be tangent to the campaign, a much looser standard than before.
RMA is concerned that these new funding and expense rules affiliated with political parties will create an uneven playing field between potential candidates and, ultimately, increase Alberta’s democratic deficit. These changes do not align with RMA member desires nor widespread public opinion. While it is still currently unknown whether municipal political parties will be expanded provincewide for the 2029 municipal elections, the legislative changes made in this area suggest that this is highly likely, even as the impacts and outcomes of applying the party model to Edmonton and Calgary for the 2025 election are not yet known.
RMA will continue to advocate against political parties in municipal politics, but as the provincial government continues to entrench their position on them at this time, this resolution has been assigned a status of Intent Not Met.
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