What Is All the Contention About in Alberta’s New Municipalities Bill?

Some Alberta municipal leaders have decried newly proposed legislation they say gives the provincial government sweeping new powers over municipalities, including greater power to change bylaws and remove mayors or councillors. Alberta’s Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver has said the province is acting within its legal responsibility to administer municipalities. The legislation comes about five months after the province ousted the mayor of Chestermere, along with three councillors, citing prolonged dysfunction of the municipal government. Ontario made a similar move on April 29, removing the mayor and council of Black River. Minister’s Response “These are sweeping powers, but they’re not new,” Mr. McIver said on a Cross Border Interviews podcast aired April 30 about Bill 20. “Provinces have 100 percent constitutional authority over municipalities.”...