Big Changes Ahead: What Bill 50 Means for your Municipality
The Alberta government’s Bill 50, the Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act, introduces a sweeping series of legislative changes that will impact how municipalities collaborate, govern, administer, and engage in local elections. While some changes are administrative, others will significantly affect day-to-day operations for councils and CAOs across the province. Here's what you need to know.
1. Reworking Intermunicipal Collaboration Frameworks (ICFs)
Municipalities have had ICFs in place since 2020, but Bill 50 sharpens their scope and the rules around them. Most notably, arbitration will now be limited to only mandatory services—like water, wastewater, solid waste, emergency services, and roads.
New rules also aim to promote transparency and fairness in capital projects shared by municipalities. Going forward, capital costs must be agreed to in advance, and all participating municipalities must be given an opportunity to contribute to the design and decision-making process before any build begins. This change responds to longstanding concerns from smaller municipalities about being left out of costly decisions.
Additionally, cost-sharing data must be exchanged between municipalities, and once an arbitrator renders a decision on a mandatory service, that ruling must be implemented in the ICF. If municipalities fail to adopt the decision, the Minister can step in and impose it.
Perhaps most notably for rural municipalities: any two rural neighbours that share a border can mutually agree to opt out of an ICF entirely—but only after reviewing their existing agreements. This offers flexibility for those who feel that existing relationships are already serving them well.
2. Councillor Conduct and Council Meeting Procedures
One of the most controversial elements of Bill 50 is the repeal of the mandatory councillor code of conduct. While councils may still choose to adopt their own codes, the province is stepping away from requiring them and from overseeing complaints and sanctions. Any ongoing matters that have not made it to the courts will now be dropped.
In its place, the government will establish standardized meeting procedures for council and committee meetings. These procedures are expected to be consistent across the province and could streamline meeting governance, especially in communities where interpretation of procedural rules has been inconsistent or problematic.
3. New Requirements for Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs)
CAOs will face increased obligations to council under Bill 50. The changes are designed to promote transparency and clarity in the CAO-council relationship.
Under the new rules, a CAO must:
Provide information to councillors upon request—unless legally restricted.
Distribute any information shared with one councillor to all others within 72 hours.
Report in writing to council within 72 hours of using natural person powers (e.g., signing contracts or purchasing land).
The legislation also limits municipalities to a single CAO and clarifies that appointment, suspension, or removal of a CAO requires only a simple majority vote of council—not a two-thirds vote, as some councils previously used.
These changes may require municipalities to revisit internal policies or governance handbooks to ensure compliance and clarity.
4. Expanded Role for Official Administrators
Bill 50 gives Official Administrators (OAs) broader authority and access during periods of municipal instability or intervention.
OAs will now:
Receive notice of all council meetings and be allowed to attend closed sessions, except those protected by legal privilege.
Have the right to demand any municipal records, again excluding legally privileged material.
Be required to co-sign major financial instruments, offering oversight on significant spending decisions.
While this change will not affect most municipalities on a day-to-day basis, it signals a more proactive stance by the province when it does intervene.
5. Broad New Regulation-Making Powers
The Bill also gives the Lieutenant Governor in Council the authority to define what constitutes the “public interest” and “government policy” under the Municipal Government Act.
This could have implications for future decisions about municipal conduct, planning, or even oversight. While “public interest” will be defined later, “government policy” is clarified to include formal government instruments such as legislation, regulations, and orders-in-council.
This provision may become important in interpreting or challenging provincial decisions that affect municipal autonomy.
6. Election Administration Modernization
Several technical but meaningful changes are made to the Local Authorities Election Act (LAEA).
Key updates include:
A special residency rule for the Municipality of Jasper, whose residents were displaced due to wildfires during census day.
A clear separation between recount provisions and general election rules, aiming to make recount procedures more transparent and less ambiguous.
Candidates may now withdraw within 24 hours after nomination day, providing a buffer for reconsideration.
School boards can now request the use of the permanent electors register, which may streamline voting logistics.
Definitions of “campaign expense” and “contribution” have been expanded to ensure greater clarity and accountability.
7. Campaign Fund Transfers Now Allowed
Political parties and candidates can now move money more freely. Bill 50 permits unlimited financial transfers between local political parties and the candidates they endorse. These transfers must be declared in annual financial disclosures, ensuring transparency.
This change may raise concerns about campaign equity but reflects the province’s continued shift toward formalizing the role of local political parties.
8. Support for Voters with Disabilities
Bill 50 explicitly enables municipalities to provide elector assistance terminals—secure, standalone voting machines for individuals with disabilities.
These terminals must:
Be offline, with no internet connectivity.
Print a paper ballot that can be counted manually.
Be approved through a municipal bylaw passed before June 30 in the year of a general election.
This is a welcome move for many councils seeking to improve accessibility and remove barriers for voters.
9. Home Warranty and Building Regulation Changes
Finally, Bill 50 makes a number of adjustments to the New Home Buyer Protection Act and Safety Codes Act, with a focus on owner-builders and financial hardship exemptions.
Highlights include:
A simplified process for owner-builder authorization.
Authority for the Registrar to register a caveat if an unwarranted home is being sold.
A requirement to disclose warranty coverage to prospective buyers when selling a recently built home.
An expanded list of circumstances under which warranty exemptions can be granted, including undue financial hardship.
Reinstated appeal mechanisms for owner-builders and others affected by Registrar decisions.
The ability for the Minister to seek advice directly from the Safety Codes Council.
These reforms aim to balance consumer protection with flexibility for builders and homeowners.
What’s Next?
While Bill 50 does not represent as sweeping a shift as last year’s Bill 20, it nonetheless introduces a broad range of targeted amendments that will require attention from municipal leaders and administrators. The changes span collaborative frameworks, governance procedures, CAO accountability, election administration, and more.
Some of these reforms—like the repeal of the councillor code of conduct or the allowance for campaign fund transfers—will reshape how councils operate politically. Others—such as new requirements for CAOs and options for accessibility voting terminals—will have operational impacts that may require updates to bylaws, policies, and internal protocols.
Municipal councils and administrations should consider the following actions:
Review and update ICFs to reflect new limitations on arbitration and capital project agreements.
Reassess local conduct policies, as provincial oversight for councillor conduct is being removed.
Ensure governance and reporting processes are aligned with the new expectations placed on CAOs.
Plan for election-related changes well in advance of the 2025 general municipal elections.
Monitor for upcoming regulations that will define “public interest” and “government policy,” as these could influence how provincial decisions interact with local autonomy.
As always, staying proactive and informed will be essential. We’ll continue monitoring developments and provide updates and interpretations as regulations and guidelines are released. If you need help interpreting these changes or implementing them locally, our team is ready to assist.
