Despite being tabled in the legislature last week, the Alberta government has already announced plans to amend certain aspects of Bill 20 after mayors and critics blasted parts of the bill.
The provincial government will collaborate with municipalities to amend and clarify parts of the bill around the portions that grant Cabinet the ability to remove councillors and repeal local bylaws.
The Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act, also known as Bill 20, introduced sweeping changes to the Local Authorities Election Act and Municipal Government Act.
One of the most notable changes in Bill 20 was the introduction of political parties at the municipal level, while one of the most contentious changes was granting the Cabinet the authority to remove a councillor if deemed in the public interest or to order a vote allowing residents to remove councillors.
Minister of Municipal Affairs Ric McIver had previously said that this policy would only be used as a last resort and in extremely rare situations. He said the provincial government hoped it would never be put in the position to use it.
He said that a councillor who betrayed public trust and if it’s in the public interest to remove them, action should be taken swiftly to do so.
“Alberta’s government remains committed to fairness and due process and will continue working with local authorities to ensure Albertans have the effective local representation they deserve,” said McIver in a press release announcing the amendments.
The provincial government already possesses the ability to remove councillors, but municipal leaders have contended that Bill 20 transforms this previously public procedure into a more secretive process, lacking sufficient oversight and accountability.
Edmonton’s Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said in a post to X that proposed changes in Bill 20 caused him to be “deeply concerned” and that the “legislation is an attack on local democracy.”
Bill 20 also allows Cabinet to repeal or amend municipal bylaws.
“This is quite serious, and we would not do this lightly. We will also be working with municipalities to propose amendments for the legislation and clarify that this would only be used in very limited circumstances related to areas that are primarily overseen by the province, like health care, education, the provincial economy, or public safety,” said McIver.
Currently, Cabinet has the power to require councils to modify or rescind land-use bylaws. Bill 20 would expand this authority to include all types of bylaws.
He added that Bill 20 aims to enhance the accountability of locally elected officials and councils while also maintaining support for local autonomy in areas managed by municipalities.
Bill 20 also bans all automated voting equipment, such as electronic tabulators, from municipal elections. Votes will be required to be tabulated by hand.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith previously promised to ban electronic vote tabulators in provincial elections.
The last provincial election saw 1,777,321 votes cast. 758,640 electors chose to vote during advanced voting days with electronic tabular. They delayed counting the election results by hours because volunteers had to spend hours manually inputting the data into a computer.
However, the delay isn’t the reason for the ban. Trust is.
“I’ve never called their integrity into question,” said McIver. “But if you talk to Albertans, you will find a number of them don’t have faith in machines counting ballots.”