Municipal Government Act (MGA) Update

On May 31, 2016 the Government of Alberta (GOA) tabled Bill 21: Modernized Municipal Government Act in the Legislature. That legislation was the result of over three years of consultations with municipalities and stakeholders.

Following consultation over the summer, amendments have been introduced and assuming the Bill is passed during the fall 2016 session, the new Act would be proclaimed in the fall of 2017. The GOA recognizes that further amendments and improvements to the MGA will be required as the province grows, municipalities change and new ideas are formulated, and has committed to ensuring the legislation is responsive to those forces via future amending bills.  In conjunction with the MGA Review, Alberta Municipal Affairs has been reviewing approximately 45 regulations under the MGA.  Those regulations will be publicly posted on the GOA MGA Review website (http://www.mgareview.alberta.ca) in draft form early in 2017, grouped together by theme (governance, planning and development, and assessment and taxation).  Stakeholders will have only 60 days to provide comment and feedback on all of the draft regulations.

As the voice and official representation of the planning profession within Alberta, APPI is committed to serving the profession and the public interest.  APPI is positioning itself to respond formally to the draft regulations, and has re-engaged the volunteer members of the MGA Task Force to lead this initiative.  In early December, in advance of the draft regulations being posted, APPI will be sharing with its members an outline of the MGA amendments contained in the proclaimed Bill 20 to the tabled Bill 21, that specifically pertain to or have implications to planning and development across Alberta.  The point of sharing this material will be to ask APPI members to review the amendments and share their insights (suggestions, concerns and details on how those could best be implemented through the forthcoming regulations).  This will assist the MGA Task Force members in quickly responding to the draft regulations once they are posted.   The MGA Task Force will review the draft regulations in light of the insights members provide and will prepare a thoughtful and comprehensive response, to be reviewed and endorsed by APPI Council.  APPI Council appreciates the willingness of the members of the MGA Task Force for their willingness to take on this role and devote the time necessary to formulate APPI’s official response, within the restricted timelines provided by the GOA.

Key MGA Dates At a Glance
Spring 2016: The government introduced the Modernized Municipal Government Act in the Legislature to propose the final round of amendments to the MGA.
Summer 2016: All Albertans had an opportunity to review the proposed Modernized Municipal Government Act and provide feedback during the summer tour.
Fall 2016: The Legislature will complete debate of the Bill, including any amendments arising from feedback received from Albertans.
Early 2017: The draft regulations will be posted to the MGA Review website for public review and comments.
Fall 2017: All changes to the MGA, including regulations, will be proclaimed before municipal elections in fall 2017.