The Municipal Government Act (MGA) is the primary piece of legislation governing how municipalities in Alberta operate. As the second longest piece of legislation in Alberta, the MGA addresses everything from municipal functions and responsibilities to meeting structures to setting tax rates, and many other issues.
Mandatory Elected Official Training
As part of the amended MGA, municipalities are now required to offer both new and returning elected officials training within ninety days of them taking their oath of office following a general election of by-election. Training can take many different forms and can be administered by an external provider or internally by the municipality’s chief administrative officer. Training must include the following components:
• Role of municipalities in Alberta
• Council and Councillor roles and responsibilities
• Chief administrative officer and staff roles and responsibilities
• Budgeting and financial administration
To assist municipalities in meeting this training requirements, the EOEP has developed Munis 101: The Essentials of Municipal Government, when supplemented by local training specific to your municipality, Munis 101 will meet all mandatory training requirements and go beyond to share concepts, strategies and best practices to set both new and returning councillors up for success moving forward. Visit our Munis 101 page for more information.