Bill 20 changes to be introduced next week: Smith
Premier acknowledges concerns after backlash from municipal leaders
Premier Danielle Smith said she's glad that Bill 20 — the Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act 2024 — was tabled just before the government recessed for a constituency break.
The timing of the bill's introduction in the legislature meant MLAS were able to discuss the bill with mayors and councillors in their ridings — conversations that highlighted municipalities' concerns and ultimately led to the UCP'S decision to consider amending the contentious legislation.
“Two of the areas they were concerned with being overly broad were the parameters around when the province might nullify a bylaw and when the province might remove a council member,” Smith said Friday at an unrelated news conference.
Bill 20, as currently written, would give the province additional authority to intervene in municipal governance. The legislation would enable cabinet to remove municipal councillors from office when doing so is deemed to be “in the public interest” and to force towns and cities to repeal or amend bylaws.
Smith acknowledged the lack of clarity or criteria in the bill regarding what exactly the “public interest” means has been an area of concern for many municipalities.
“We were asked by the various municipal associations if we could just be more clear about what those terms would be,” Smith said.
“We're working on the language on that and will be introducing amendments when we go back next week.”
The ability to repeal a bylaw or fire a councillor are just two of many provisions included in Bill 20, which would require sweeping amendments to both the Municipal Government Act and Local Authorities Election Act.
The legislation would also affect Alberta's municipal elections and campaigns by prohibiting the use of electronic vote-counting machines, reintroducing corporate and union donations and establishing a local political party system in Calgary and Edmonton.
Many municipal leaders have spoken out about the legislation since it was tabled on April 25, including Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek and Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi.
Other critics included AB Munis, which represents 265 of Alberta's towns, cities and villages, and the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) association, which represents 69 counties and municipal districts. AB Munis president Tyler Gandam called the bill a power grab by the province, while the RMA called it an affront to democracy.
After more than a week of backlash toward the bill, Municipal Affairs Minister Ric Mciver announced the government's intent to amend the legislation. In a statement Thursday, he reiterated that some of the powers the bill would grant the province — such as the bylaw repeal provision — would only be used sparingly, in cases where municipalities are wading into provincial jurisdiction.
“We will ... be working with municipalities to propose amendments for the legislation and clarify that this would only be used in very limited circumstances related to areas that are primarily overseen by the province, like health care, education, the provincial economy or public safety,” he said.
Mciver said the province's decision to fire a council member would only be used as a last resort, when a councillor “has betrayed the public trust.”
We're working on the language on that and will be introducing amendments when we go back next week.