Alberta Municipal Affairs is a ministry of the Executive Council of

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

. Its major responsibilities include assisting

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

in the provision of local

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...

, administering the assessment of linear property in Alberta, administering a safety system for the construction and maintenance of buildings and equipment, and managing Alberta's network of municipal and

library system A library consortium is any cooperative association of libraries that coordinates resources and/or activities on behalf of its members, whether they are school, public, academic, special libraries and/or information centers. Consortia exist on a v ...

boards. On January 4, 2021,

Ric McIver Richard William McIver (born August 28, 1958) is a Canadian politician who has represented Calgary-Hays in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta since 2012. A member of the United Conservative Party (UCP), McIver is the current minister of munic ...

became Acting Minister of Municipal Affairs, replacing

Tracy Allard Tracy Allard (born 1971) is a Canadian politician who has represented Grande Prairie in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta since 2019. A member of the United Conservative Party (UCP), she served as minister of municipal affairs from August 2020 ...

. On July 8 McIver was appointed Minister of Municipal Affairs. Rebecca Schulz became the minister of October 24, 2022.

History

The Municipal Affairs ministry was established on December 20, 1911, with the purpose of implementing the new municipal legislation regarding incorporation of towns, villages, rural municipal districts, improvement districts and cities. The ministry is responsible for enforcement of a variety of provincial legislation including: * Municipal Government Act * Local Authorities Election Act * Emergency Management Act * Libraries Act * New Home Buyer Protection Act * Safety Codes Act On December 15, 2006, the new ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing was created from ''Alberta Municipal Affairs'' and ''Seniors and Community Supports''. Libraries, community and

voluntary sector The voluntary sector, independent sector, or civic sector is the realm of social activity undertaken by organizations that are non-governmental nonprofit organizations. This sector is also called the third sector, community sector, and nonprofit s ...

services, previously under the authority of

Alberta Community Development The Ministry of Culture of Alberta, commonly called Alberta Culture, is a ministry of the Executive Council of the Government of Alberta. It the legal continuation of a ministry that has had many names since its creation in 1992, most recently ...

, were amalgamated in the new ministry. On March 12, 2008, Premier Stelmach reverted ''Municipal Affairs and Housing'' back to ''Municipal Affairs'' by moving the responsibilities over housing and the voluntary sector to the new ministries of Housing and Urban Affairs and Culture and Community Spirit respectively.

Ministry structure

Alberta's Ministry of Municipal Affairs includes "Municipal Services and Legislation", "Municipal Assessment and Grants", "Corporate Strategic Services", and "Public Safety". The ministry also has oversight of the Municipal Government Board, the Alberta Emergency Management Agency, and the Special Areas Board. Municipal Services and Legislation provides support, advice and other assistance in the areas of municipal government, administration and land use planning to Alberta's

urban Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to: * Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas * Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities Urban may also refer to: General * Urban (name), a list of people ...

rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are describ ...

and specialized municipalities. This division is also responsible for municipal inspections, viability reviews, and the Municipal Government Act Review. Branches include Municipal Services and Major Legislative Projects and Strategic Planning. Municipal Assessment and Grants provides support, advice and other assistance in the areas of property assessment, education property taxes, and municipal grants to Alberta's

and specialized municipalities. This division is also responsible for the Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI) program, Federal Gas Tax program, and assessment of all linear property (e,g. oil/gas wells, pipelines, electric power lines, and telecommunication systems) in Alberta. Branches include Assessment Services and Grants and Education Property Tax. Corporate Strategic Services provides support, advice and other assistance to other divisions within Municipal Affairs. Corporate Strategic Services is also responsible for the Public Library Services Branch, which provides policy, planning and administrative expertise to public libraries across Alberta. Public Safety's mandate includes safe buildings, equipment and facilities and emergency response, regulated by the ''Safety Codes Act''. Public Safety comprises Safety Services, the New Home Warranty and the Office of the Fire Commissioner.

Quasi-Judicial Boards

Land Compensation Board

The Land Compensation Board determines the amount of compensation to be paid when land is

expropriated Eminent domain (United States, Philippines), land acquisition (India, Malaysia, Singapore), compulsory purchase/acquisition (Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, United Kingdom), resumption (Hong Kong, Uganda), resumption/compulsory acquisition (Austr ...

for a public service. In some cases, it is the body that recommends whether expropriation is warranted. The Land Compensation Board was under

Alberta Environment and Parks The Ministry of Environment and Protected Areas of Alberta (also commonly called Alberta Environment and Protected Areas) is the Alberta provincial ministry of the Executive Council of Alberta responsible for environmental issues and policy as we ...

until 2018.

Municipal Government Board

The Municipal Government Board is a provincial tribunal in Alberta, Canada.Alberta Municipal Affairs
Municipal Government Board Website
. Retrieved 2012-06-01. It is established pursuant to the Municipal Government Act. The MGB hears appeals from subdivision applications involving a provincial interest, appeals of linear property assessments, intermunicipal disputes, municipal annexations, and other matters.

New Home Buyer Protection Board

The New Home Buyer Protection Board hears appeals from the New Home Buyer Protection Office.

Surface Rights Board

The Surface Rights Board settles disputes between companies that have the right to drill for subsurface fossil fuels and the owners of the surface of the land. It can also direct the government to pay surface lease rentals on behalf of delinquent operators. The Surface Rights Board was under Alberta Environment and Parks until 2018.

References

External links

Alberta Municipal Affairs
- Ministry website
Government of Alberta
- Municipal Affairs {{ABGovDept Municipal Affairs Land management ministries Local government ministries 1911 establishments in Alberta