Municipal Government Act (Alberta)

Last updated

Municipal Government Act
2011 Alberta Legislature Building 03.jpg
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
CitationRSA 2000, c M-26
Territorial extent Alberta
Enacted by Legislative Assembly of Alberta
EnactedJune 1, 1968
Legislative history
Bill titleAn Act respecting Municipal Government
Bill citation Bill 23
Introduced by Edgar Gerhart
IntroducedFebruary 15, 1968
Repeals
The City Act; The Town and Village Act; The Municipal District Act; The Early Closing Act; The Houses of Public Accommodations Act
Status: In force

The Municipal Government Act defines local government within the Province of Alberta. The Municipal Government Act was substantially updated and modernized in 1994 to give municipalities greater control over local decision-making and govern the affairs of the municipalities, including the former Planning Act and the Regional Municipal Services Act. [1]

Contents

History

The original Municipal Government Act (known as Bill 23) was introduced by Edgar Gerhart in the Alberta Legislature in 1968 during the 1st Session of the 16th Alberta Legislature, along with the Municipal Election Act (now known as the Local Authorities Election Act). It came into effect on June 1, 1968, and defines the laws and rules under which municipalities may operate. The MGA has been subject to numerous changes over the years.

In March 2022, Bill 4 of the 3rd Session of the 30th Alberta Legislature, known as the Municipal Government (Face Mask and Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination Bylaws) Amendment Act, 2022 [2] was introduced which amends the Municipal Government Act in order to restrict the introduction and enactment of municipal bylaws regarding face masks and proof of vaccination against COVID-19 unless approved by the Minister of Municipal Affairs, and required the immediate repeal of such municipal bylaws already in place upon coming into force. It passed first, second, and third readings throughout the month and received Royal Assent on April 21, 2022, and became law on the same day. [3]

The Municipal Government Act is being amended by Bill 20 to give the provincial government greater powers to override local legislation and to recall local elected representatives, and permitting slates of candidates in Calgary and Edmonton and increasing contribution limits from corporate and union donors in the upcoming 2025 Alberta Municipal Elections. [4]

Related Research Articles

Section 33 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is part of the Constitution of Canada. It is commonly known as the notwithstanding clause. Sometimes referred to as the override power, it allows Parliament or provincial legislatures to temporarily override sections 2 and 7–15 of the Charter. The clause was part of the 'Kitchen Accord' of 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constitution of South Africa</span> Supreme and fundamental law of South Africa

The Constitution of South Africa is the supreme law of the Republic of South Africa. It provides the legal foundation for the existence of the republic, it sets out the rights and duties of its citizens, and defines the structure of the Government. The current constitution, the country's fifth, was drawn up by the Parliament elected in 1994 in the South African general election, 1994. It was promulgated by President Nelson Mandela on 18 December 1996 and came into effect on 4 February 1997, replacing the Interim Constitution of 1993. The first constitution was enacted by the South Africa Act 1909, the longest-lasting to date. Since 1961, the constitutions have promulgated a republican form of government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1967 Alberta general election</span>

The 1967 Alberta general election was held on May 23, 1967, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta to the 16th Alberta Legislature. The election was called after the 15th Alberta Legislature was prorogued on April 11, 1967, and dissolved on April 14, 1967.

Athabasca was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada, mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1905 to 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Clark (Canadian politician)</span> Canadian politician

Stephen J. Clark is a Canadian politician who has represented Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 2010. A member of the Progressive Conservative (PC) Party, Clark was the minister of municipal affairs and housing from 2018 until 2023, when he resigned from provincial cabinet amid the Greenbelt scandal. Clark was mayor of Brockville from 1982 to 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Moe</span> Premier of Saskatchewan since 2018

Scott Moe is a Canadian politician serving as the 15th and current premier of Saskatchewan since February 2, 2018. He is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan for the riding of Rosthern-Shellbrook, first elected in 2011. He served in the Saskatchewan Party cabinet from 2014 to 2017 under the premiership of Brad Wall, twice as minister of environment and also as minister of advanced education. In January 2018 he was chosen to succeed Wall as leader of the Saskatchewan Party. He led the party to a fourth consecutive majority mandate in the 2020 provincial election.

The 2013 Lethbridge municipal election was held Monday, October 21, 2013 to elect a mayor and eight councillors (at-large), the seven Lethbridge School District No. 51 trustees, and five of the Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Separate Regional Division No. 4’s nine trustees. This election marks a change of title for council members, from "Alderman", to "Councillor".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Calgary municipal election</span> Election in Alberta, Canada

The 2017 Calgary municipal election was held on October 16, 2017, to elect a mayor, councillors to the city council, trustees to the Calgary Board of Education, and trustees to the Calgary Catholic School District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebecca Schulz</span> Canadian politician

Rebecca Schulz is a Canadian politician who was elected in the 2019 Alberta general election to represent the electoral district of Calgary-Shaw in the 30th Alberta Legislature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">30th Alberta Legislature</span>

The 30th Alberta Legislative Assembly was constituted after the general election on April 16, 2019. The United Conservative Party (UCP), led by Jason Kenney, won a majority of seats and formed the government. The New Democrats, led by outgoing Premier Rachel Notley, won the second most seats and formed the official opposition. The premiership of Jason Kenney began on April 30, 2019, when Jason Kenney and his first cabinet were sworn in by Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, Lois Mitchell. On October 11, 2022, Kenney resigned, and Danielle Smith, the new leader of the UCP, was sworn in as premier by Lieutenant Governor Salma Lakhani. The 30th Legislature was dissolved on May 1, 2023, triggering a general election on May 29.

The 2017 Lethbridge municipal election was held Monday, October 17, 2017 to elect a mayor and eight councillors (at-large), the seven Lethbridge School District No. 51 trustees, and five of the Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Separate Regional Division No. 4’s nine trustees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">42nd Parliament of British Columbia</span> Legislature of British Columbia, Canada (2020–present)

The 42nd Parliament of British Columbia was chosen in the 2020 British Columbia general election. All 87 seats were up for election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Steffen</span> American politician

Mark B. Steffen is an American politician in the Kansas Senate from the 34th district. He assumed office in 2021, after beating one-term Republican incumbent Edward Berger with 57.5% of the vote in the August 4, 2020 primary, and Democrat Shanna Henry with 69.8% of the vote in the general election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adrienne Southworth</span> American politician

Adrienne Southworth is an American politician from Kentucky. She is a Republican and represents District 7 in the State Senate. She was defeated for re-election in the 2024 primaries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vaccine passports during the COVID-19 pandemic</span> Use of immunity passports for COVID-19 vaccination

A vaccine passport or proof of vaccination is an immunity passport employed as a credential in countries and jurisdictions as part of efforts to control the COVID-19 pandemic via vaccination. A vaccine passport is typically issued by a government or health authority, and usually consists of a digital or printed record. Some credentials may include a scannable QR code, which can also be provisioned via mobile app. It may or may not use a COVID-19 vaccine card as a basis of authentication.

COVID-19 vaccination mandates in Canada are the responsibility of provinces, territories, and municipalities, and in the case of federal public services and federally-regulated transportation industries, the federal government. COVID-19 vaccines are taxpayer funded in Canada and made available free of charge through the public health care system. The federal government is responsible for procurement and distribution of the vaccines to provincial and territorial authorities; provincial and territorial governments are responsible for administering vaccinations to people in their respective jurisdictions. Mass vaccination efforts began across Canada on December 14, 2020. As the second vaccinations became more widely available in June 2021, Manitoba became the first province in Canada to offer a voluntary vaccine passport.

<i>Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act</i> 2022 Canadian provincial legislation

The Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act, commonly known as the Alberta Sovereignty Act, is an act introduced on November 29, 2022, the first day of the fall sitting of the 4th Session of the 30th Alberta Legislature by the Premier of Alberta, Danielle Smith, and passed on December 8, 2022. The act seeks to protect Alberta from federal laws and policies that the Alberta legislature deems to be unconstitutional or harmful to Albertans or the province's economic prosperity, in areas such as natural resources, gun control, COVID-19 public health, education, and agriculture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Premiership of Danielle Smith</span> Danielle Smiths time as premier of Alberta and her policies

The premiership of Danielle Smith began on 11 October 2022 when she was sworn in by Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, Salma Lakhani. Smith won the 2022 United Conservative Party leadership election to replace then Alberta Premier Jason Kenney on October 6, 2022, and was appointed as the 19th Premier of Alberta. Her cabinet was sworn in on 22 October.

References

  1. "History of Municipalities in Alberta". Government of Alberta . Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  2. "Alberta municipalities will need province's OK for face mask or COVID-19 vaccine passport bylaws". Global News . March 8, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  3. "Bill 4: Municipal Government (Face Mask and Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination Bylaws) Amendment Act". Legislative Assembly of Alberta . Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  4. "Alberta government unveils new rules for municipal political parties, donations". CBC News . October 18, 2024. Retrieved October 19, 2024.