AUMA advocates to keep party politics and big money out of municipal elections
AUMA's submission to the Minister of Municipal Affairs expresses deep concern about the sudden provincial consultation on the Local Authorities Election Act, since changes could have significant ramifications for local democracy in the upcoming 2021 municipal elections and beyond.
The consultation, which ends today, looks at critical components of our local democracy:
- campaign financing;
- third-party advertising;
- nomination processes;
- campaign period length; and
- the ability for recall.
Changes, especially to campaign financing and third-party advertising rules, could open the door for large corporate donations and voter confusion, and could introduce partisan divisions in municipal government.
If you haven’t already, we encourage you to make your own MA.MSLEngagementGroup [at] gov.ab.ca (submission) or fill out the province’s survey now!
“Ensuring local government remains non-partisan is AUMA’s priority,” states AUMA President Barry Morishita. “Partisan dynamics encourage elected officials to prioritize party demands over constituent needs. Local politicians must instead focus on being community builders and prioritizing their municipality’s needs through discussion and consensus.”
AUMA will monitor outcomes of the consultation closely and provide the opportunity to discuss local elections at the upcoming Municipal Leaders’ Caucus on March 25 and 26.
