An update on members' RFDs from 2020 & 2021

The Spring Municipal Leaders Caucus (MLC) is an opportunity for Alberta Municipalities’ Board and members to bring forward Request for Decisions (RFDs) on emerging issues.

At next week’s MLC, members will vote on the association’s position on the provincial government’s proposal for an Alberta Provincial Police Service. Voting will take place electronically using Mentimeter so everyone can participate, whether they are attending in person or virtually. Instructions on how to vote will be provided at the event.

In the meantime, we want to update you on actions we have taken on RFDs submitted to MLCs in recent years.

RFDs from 2020

Although 2020’s Spring MLC was cancelled due to the pandemic, Alberta Municipalities took RFDs submitted by members through our standing policy committees. In some cases, we were able to seek member input through virtual town hall meetings and webinars.

Local Elections Reserved for Local Issues (City of Grande Prairie)

The City of Grande Prairie submitted an RFD asking Alberta Municipalities to advocate for maintaining that local elections focus on local issues. The RFD was overwhelmingly endorsed by approximately 165 members who attended a webinar held in June 2020 to seek endorsement of principles to guide Alberta Municipalities’ input on the provincial government’s proposed changes to the Local Authorities Election Act (LAEA).

We were disappointed that the Government of Alberta ignored this principle in holding referendum and senate elections at the same time as local elections last fall. Still, we were able to promote the principle as part of our Local Democracy Pledge that hundreds of local candidates took in the months leading up to the 2021 municipal elections.

We have another opportunity this year to stress the importance of keeping local elections local, as Municipal Affairs indicates it plans to review the LAEA again this spring, based on lessons learned from the last municipal election. In the end, it could be argued that municipal elections overshadowed the referendum and senate elections, with many Albertans reporting that they were unsure or confused about exactly who and what were on those provincially- and federally-related ballots. Confusion is not a democratic principle, and it is something we do not wish to promote. Overall, the experience of voters and returning officers last October reinforces the importance of keeping local elections local.

Alberta Environment and Parks Water and Wastewater Approvals (Town of Black Diamond)

Alberta Municipalities provided a letter to Alberta Environment and Parks that presented our  members’ concerns with water and wastewater approval processes.  To date, the ministry has not made any changes to the approval processes. This 2020 RFD has been added to our ongoing work on streamlining water and wastewater approval policies and procedures. Our members have told us that this is one area where they encounter many barriers, and it is therefore a priority ‘red tape reduction’ topic for Alberta Municipalities.

Provincial Funding Changes to Alberta Health Services Physician Compensation (Town of Pincher Creek) and New Physician Funding Framework (Lac La Biche County)

Following the termination of the provincial government’s agreement with the Alberta Medical Association (AMA) – which represents physicians in compensation negotiations – in February 2020, the provincial government implemented the Physician Funding Framework on March 31, 2020. This framework featured two key adjustments: changes to complex modifiers were withdrawn, and stipends for being in hospital were delayed until August 2020.  On April 24, 2020, the Minister of Health announced further changes to the Physician Funding Framework and additional initiatives, with the intention of protecting access to health care in rural and remote communities in Alberta.

The Town of Pincher Creek submitted an RFD to Alberta Municipalities (then AUMA) in mid-April 2020 requesting the engagement of members to develop an advocacy strategy that supports the reversal of physician compensation changes made by the province in the Physician Funding Framework and others made in fall 2019. Lac La Biche County sent a resolution to Alberta Municipalities requesting that municipal associations urge the Government of Alberta to reengage in negotiations with the AMA to mutually arrive at a new master agreement that ensures continued timely access to healthcare for all rural Albertans. An identical resolution was passed by RMA members on April 24, 2020. 

Alberta Municipalities’ Executive Committee met with AMA executives at the end of April 2020 to discuss shared concerns about the Physician Funding Framework and the negative impacts that it was having on physician retention, especially in smaller communities. The uncertainty amongst Alberta Municipalities members and physicians resulting from the lack of an agreement between the AMA the provincial government was also emphasized during the discussion. Executive Committee also met with the Minister of Health in mid-June 2020 to discuss physician attraction and retention, which is directly impacted by physician funding. Alberta Health’s position was that an agreement between AMA and the province is not required to compensate physicians efficiently and effectively and ensure physician attraction and retention.  

Staff from AMA, RMA, and Alberta Municipalities have been meeting regularly since June 2020. Discussions initially focused on the physician compensation issues created by the Physician Funding Framework and the province's termination of the agreement between AMA and Alberta Health, as well as the implementation of the Alberta Health Services Performance Review recommendations, but discussions have evolved to also address a broader range of issues related to access to healthcare.

In March 2021, AMA held a ratification vote on an agreement proposal provided to them by Alberta Health; their members voted not to ratify the proposal. This was AMA's first ever "no" vote on an issue put before its members. AMA indicated that more work was still required to ensure that a mutually beneficial arrangement is developed that cannot be unilaterally terminated by the provincial government. AMA and Alberta Health are currently meeting to discuss options on how best to proceed.

Alberta Municipalities works closely with the RMA on health care advocacy. Both municipal associations will continue to encourage AMA and the provincial government to come to a reasonable solution on physician compensation.

RFDs from 2021

2021's Spring MLC took place virtually, allowing members to adopt the following RFDs.

Local Government Fiscal Framework (LGFF) Implementation (Village of Forestburg)

Following the Government of Alberta’s decision to reduce the starting amount of LGFF from $860 million to $722 million, members adopted an RFD from the Village of Forestburg, which directed Alberta Municipalities to advocate for the provincial government to:
•    Start LGFF one year earlier in the 2023-24 fiscal year,
•    Remove the 50% revenue index factor so that annual changes in LGFF is equivalent to annual changes in the province’s revenue, and
•    Increase the starting baseline amount.

So far, conversations with Municipal Affairs suggest the ministry plans to maintain LGFF’s 2024 start date and there has been no interest shown to increase the starting baseline amount. However, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and the Minister of Finance have expressed a willingness to review the revenue index factor. This will be a priority issue for Alberta Municipalities in 2022 and further updates on LGFF will be presented at the March 2022 Municipal Leaders’ Caucus.

Proposed Amendment to the Municipal Government Act – Division 5 Special Tax (Village of Forestburg)

In April 2021, the Village of Forestburg submitted an RFD requesting that the Alberta Municipalities advocate for the provincial government to amend Section 382(1) of the Municipal Government Act (MGA) to allow municipalities to pass a special tax bylaw to raise revenue to pay for policing services.

A meeting between Municipal Affairs’ Assistant Deputy Minister – Municipal Assessment and Grants Division, and the association’s Municipal Governance Committee took place in April 2021. Members’ concerns about property assessment and taxation, including the request in this RFD, were discussed. The outcomes of this meeting focused on strategies for the collection by municipalities of education property taxes that were acceptable to Municipal Affairs. The matter of a special tax bylaw to raise revenue to pay for policing services was deferred until the Parts of the MGA on assessment and taxation are reviewed as part of the Ministry’s Red Tape Reduction Review.

Municipal Affairs initiated its red tape reduction review of these parts of the MGA by sending a survey to stakeholders in early November 2021. Given that the topics and provisions addressed in the survey were selected by the ministry and were not necessarily priority issues for municipalities, a cover letter was included with Alberta Municipalities’ submission that summarized all active member resolutions and RFDs related to property assessment and taxation. The letter also requested that the ministry conduct stakeholder engagement in early 2022 to allow for a comprehensive discussion of the proposals in the survey and to provide an opportunity for discussion of other topics of significance to our members, including this RFD.

All Albertans Deserve Access to Justice (Town of Slave Lake)

At the 2021 Spring Municipal Leaders Caucus, Alberta Municipalities members voted to adopt an RFD put forward by the Town of Slave Lake on access to justice. This RFD asks Alberta Municipalities to advocate for the proper resourcing of the justice system through:
1.    Addressing court backlogs that create long delays for trials;
2.    Reforming bail hearings so that people with local expertise are present to inform judicial decisions; and 
3.    Holding a public inquiry that determines the causes of and proposes solutions to recidivism and prolific offenders.

Alberta Municipalities sent the RFD to the Minister of Justice and Solicitor General in 2021 and the Minister’s response was brought to the Safe and Healthy Communities Committee for discussion and next steps. The committee recommended the following actions:
•    Reach out to Alberta Crown Attorneys’ Association (ACAA) to explore opportunities for joint advocacy. This action is in progress, as administration is seeking a meeting with an ACAA representative.
•    Send a letter to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada about bail provisions. This letter has been sent.
•    Monitor Budget 2022 for investments in the provincial justice system that promote equitable access to justice services. This will be included in Alberta Municipalities’ Budget 2022 analysis.
•    Reach out to RMA to explore opportunities for joint advocacy. This action is in progress, with RMA offering preliminary support for the RFD. 

The Safe and Healthy Communities Committee also recommended that this be a priority initiative for the 2022 Committee term, so work on the RFD continues this year.