Municipal New Year’s Resolutions
It is a new year with new rules. On the municipal front, 2018 rings in with many legislative changes rolling out through amendments to Alberta’s Municipal Government Act. Here are some Municipal “New Year’s” Resolutions that are certain to hit the radar and agendas in every Alberta municipality this year. This handful of governance changes barely scratches the surface on the scope of legislative changes. I welcome municipal officials to comment and add other noble resolutions to this list!
Intermunicipal Collaboration: We will review shared services and costs and develop meaningful agreements with municipal neighbours to manage growth (s. 708).
Council Conduct: We will develop or update our Council Code of Conduct Bylaw (s. 146.1) and abide by these shared expectations to promote healthy interactions.
Financial Planning: We will develop a 3-year operating plan and a 5-year capital plan (s. 283.1). The operating plan will show the impact of capital projects, such as operating costs and amortization. The capital plan will reflect strategic priorities and show how capital projects will be funded.
Communication: The Chief Administrative Officer will ensure that information provided to one elected official is provided to all elected official as soon as practical (s. 153.1). We will develop a public participation policy (s. 216.1) to establish clear and consistent public participation opportunities in the governance process.
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Shari-Anne is an Alberta-based municipal consultant. She is an advocate for good governance and strong decision-making practices.