The Alberta government is proposing changes that would remove the authority of municipalities to create their own council codes of conduct, citing concerns that these rules have been misused and have contributed to dysfunction among some local elected officials.
If Bill 50 passes, the province would consult with municipalities on the creation of common practices for council governance. It also proposes the development of an independent ethics commissioner to handle complaints and ethical concerns involving municipal officials.
"Unfortunately, in some cases, we've seen these codes become weaponized among council members," said Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver.
"Instead of promoting harmony, codes of conduct have sometimes been used by council members to harass or sideline their colleagues over political disagreements. When misused or abused, a council code of conduct can create a chilling effect on legitimate debate."
He added that such codes can be used to silence dissenting councillors.
"What's more, there have been instances where the courts have overturned council sanctions, finding them to be unreasonable, disproportionate, or lacking procedural fairness."
McIver said the proposed changes would reinforce accountability through elections, allowing voters to decide every four years whether their elected officials should remain in office. Councillors could also be removed through a recall petition.
Should the bill receive Royal Assent, all existing sanctions will be removed, McIver said.
"The provincial legislation will wipe them out," he stated at a press scrum. "And I don't mean that in any pejorative way. I'm just trying to be clear with you — they're gone if the legislation passes and it's proclaimed."
The issue is particularly relevant in Cochrane, where Councillor Marni Fedeyko remains under a sanction that prevents her from directly communicating with members of the town administration unless she first goes through CAO Mike Derricott. Her term as deputy mayor, initially set for June 26 to Oct. 20, 2025, was approved before council rescinded the motion in January.
The sanctions imposed on Fedeyko were the result of a council code of conduct complaint. An OH&S complaint lodged against her was separate from the code of conduct process.
McIver did not directly address the situation in Cochrane but suggested that reporters “Google ‘Medicine Hat.’”
Yet he made it clear that while there are issues, it's not widespread.
"As much as we need to make these changes, I would sure hate to leave the impression that the majority of municipal councillors are not doing their job extremely well, because the vast majority of municipal councillors are doing their job very well," said McIver.
"As always, you make rules for the exceptions. You don't make speeding rules for someone that drives the speed limit, you make the speeding rules for the people who refuse to drive the speeding rules, who are always in the minority, and yet the rules are required."
The bill further intends to establish standardized procedures for council and council committee meetings
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Proposed amendments to the Municipal Government Act (MGA) will require chief administrative officers to provide information to councillors upon request and, if the request is refused, to provide a reason. Any information shared must then be distributed to all other councillors within 72 hours.
The authority of official administrators (OAs) appointed by the Minister of Municipal Affairs will also be strengthened. OAs are appointed when a municipality loses quorum on its governing council, to support an orderly transition of governance during municipal restructuring—such as amalgamations or dissolutions—and to supervise a municipality and its council when significant governance concerns arise.
The recent appointment of an OA in Cremona led to the resignation of the mayor and a majority of the village’s councillors.
The proposed amendments also aim to strengthen collaboration between municipalities, streamline processes, and enhance protections for new home builders and buyers.
This includes reforming the existing Intermunicipal Collaboration Framework, establishing fair cost-sharing rules, strengthening arbitration mechanisms in disputes, and allowing for greater flexibility in rural communities.
Amendments to the Local Authorities Election Act allow for the introduction of elector assistance terminals for local elections, enabling voters with disabilities to mark a paper ballot privately and independently. The amendments further clarify timelines and rules for candidates who withdraw from local elections.