Looking at the Test Run of Municipal Parties in Edmonton & Calgary

On October 20, 2025, residents of Alberta’s two largest cities will get their first opportunity to vote in a municipal election featuring political parties. The idea, controversial in every circle impacted, is one that is now a reality for more than 2 million Albertans.

Last Friday, Minister of Municipal Affairs, Ric McIver, held a press conference to go over some of the regulatory changes candidates and residents in Edmonton and Calgary will be faced with during next year’s municipal election cycle. Although they do not directly impact other municipalities this time, it is worth everyone’s time better understanding the new rules – they may come to your municipality in 2029.

For clarity, the province has yet to confirm that partisan municipal politics will be the norm across Alberta. They have called the upcoming party-system election in Edmonton and Calgary a “pilot project”, so it simply means there is potential for it to be the case.

Our Director of Municipal Affairs, Zack Ziolkowski put together an “at a glance” summary of the new regulatory changes to campaign expenses together last week. Specifically, he covered expense limits for both election and non-election years. The Local Political Parties and Slates Regulation will fall under the Local Authorities Election Act.

Campaign Expense Limits for Election Years

Upon registration, during a local election year in Alberta:

• Mayoral candidates may spend up to $1 per person based on the population of the municipality, or $20,000, whichever is greater.

• Councillor candidates will be allowed to spend:

o Where there are wards, up to $1 per person based on the average population of the wards in the municipality, or $20,000, whichever is greater, or

o Where there are no wards, up to $1 per person based on the population of the municipality, or $20,000, whichever is greater.

• Local political parties will be allowed to spend up to $1 per person based on the average population of all wards in the municipality, for each ward in which the party has endorsed candidates running.

• Third-party advertisers will be allowed to spend $0.50 per person based on the population of the municipality during the election year advertising period (May 1-Oct. 20, 2025).

Campaign Expense Limits for Non-Election Years

In non-election years, campaign expenses will be limited as follows:

• During the year prior to an election year, all candidates will be allowed to spend up to $0.50 per person based on the population of the municipality (mayor and councillors in municipalities without wards) or average population of the wards (councillors in municipalities with wards), or $10,000, whichever is greater.

• Local political parties will be allowed to spend up to $0.50 per person based on the average population of all wards in the municipality, for each ward in which the party has candidates who have committed to run for election as of November 1.

• Candidates and local political parties will not be allowed to incur expenses during the two years following an election year.

Other Important Takeaways

Outside of the financial restrictions included in the regulations are details surrounding how these new political parties may be formed. In order to form a party, applications must include:

·         Names, addresses, and signatures of 1,000 individuals who:

o   are eligible to vote in an election in that jurisdiction; and

o   are members of the local political party and support the party’s registration.

• A list of candidates who have committed to run as endorsed candidates under the party and who, if elected, would make up at least 1/3 of the local council.

• Names of the party’s leader, if any, and chief financial officer.

• Financial information including the names of the financial agent, signing authorities, bank account information and a statement of the party’s assets and liabilities.

Municipal political parties and slates must also not be affiliated with any provincial or federal political party. Additionally, individuals, unions, and corporations will have a $5,000 contribution cap per year (per jurisdiction).

Analysis

As the regulations are digested, it becomes fairly evident that the provincial government has written the rules in such a way as to provide a significant advantage for those wanting to run in Edmonton or Calgary as a member of a political party.

Firstly, the regulations differentiate between parties and slates in a way that indicates “slates do not have separate expense limits, as the campaign expenses of a slate are shared equally by each member of the slate and are applied to the individual expense limits of the slate’s member candidates.”

In short, this means that political parties will have a significant financial advantage in the municipal landscape. In addition to each of the candidate’s expense limit in their respective municipality/ward, parties will also have their own expense limits for each ward the party has an endorsed candidate running. As the expense limits will remain the same between independent and party affiliated candidates, the regulations provide significant financial motivation for candidates to affiliate.

For those wanting to run as independent candidates as has been the norm in Alberta since it formed, it will be a new challenge to compete against those tied to a party. Beyond the obvious financial advantages of affiliation, there are also apparatus benefits that naturally flow – namely data, event planning, and a larger volunteer pool. But despite the calls from both the public and elected officials to not include parties at the municipal level, this is the new reality stakeholders and residents will have to face when October 31 rolls around.

But as with any pilot project, there are no guarantees when it comes to future use. While the changes will be limited to only Edmonton and Calgary in 2025, there are a few ways this new saga could go. The uptake of municipal parties may be low, showing a lack of interest in the concept. Inversely, the uptake could be quite high, leading to the expansion of political parties to other municipalities in the 2029 election cycle.

Then, of course, there is the factor of the next provincial election occurring in 2027. If the UCP are re-elected, then it is a moot point. However, should the Alberta NDP form the next government, there is potential for this new legislation and regulation to be overturned in whole or in part (though the party has not committed to that at the time of writing). Municipal Affairs Shadow Minister Kyle Kasawski has been critical of Bill 20 since its introduction, and the new leader Naheed Nenshi (being a long-time municipal elected official himself) has spoken out against the legislation as well.