
Answer: The Alberta Party believes that municipalities provide services that most Albertans rely on every day. The current relationship between the provincial and local governments limits the potential of municipalities to provide essential services. The Alberta Party is committed to building a new partnership which:
- Recognizes municipalities as an equal order of government;
- Ensures that municipalities have access to stable, predictable and adequate funding;
- Gradually shifts education funding away from the property tax system and gives municipalities exclusive access to their property tax base;
- Explores other alternatives to the property tax system.

These charters will clearly outline the roles, responsibilities, revenue generation and partnership between the Government of Alberta and the civic governments of our major cities.
Question: Is the Municipal Government Act adequate to meet the needs of the large cities?
Answer: No. The Municipal Government Act entrenches the paternal relationship the province has over municipalities in Alberta. It does not allow the opportunity to recognize municipalities as equal orders of government, but rather forces them to act at the whim of the province and to compete against each other for grants and infrastructure funding. The Alberta Party believes that the Municipal Government Act needs to be significantly altered or replaced so that it can meet the needs of all municipalities, including our big cities more appropriately.
Question: Would you prefer city charters or other legislative remedies to address this issue?
Answer: As stated above, the Alberta Party believes that in addition to Large City Charters for Edmonton and Calgary, that municipalities of all sizes – from big cities to small towns – should be treated as equal orders of government, which must be bolstered by legislation.
Alberta Party official website - www.albertaparty.ca