Major changes are coming to the Municipal Government Act (MGA), legislation that dictates how municipalities in the province operate. The revisions are set to be the first changes to the act since 1995.
“Modernizing the (MGA) is critical to ensuring our province’s future prosperity and to improving the vitality of our communities,” Municipal Affairs Minister Danielle Larivee said during a media availability May 31. “It guides how we pay for our roads, where we build our schools and how we develop strong communities to raise our families.”
Revisions were developed out of consultation with a variety of stakeholders, including municipalities, citizens and businesses, according to Larivee.
The legislation outlines a variety of regulations for municipalities and dictates a number of rules – including how communities tax residents, construct infrastructure projects and regulate business.
Changes include revisions to the types of levies available to be collected by municipalities from developers. Currently, municipalities can collect levies from developers to pay for basic infrastructure, such as sewer and water systems.
The new MGA will expand those levies so municipalities can use them to build more facilities, including fire halls, police stations and libraries.
“We’ve been advocating for this for a long time,” Airdrie Mayor Peter Brown said. “It’s relative growth – we should be able to access some of those dollars to (build infrastructure such as) a new recreation centre. To be able to fund it with levy dollars takes the burden off the taxpayer.”
Levies can be collected by the municipality when 30 per cent of the benefit of the proposed facility accrues to the new development – additional costs which could be passed on to homeowners by developers.
“Those details will come forward. There are some costs that will be passed on to every resident that moves (into new developments),” Brown said. “Housing is market-driven.”
The legislation also enables municipalities to mandate affordable housing in new developments.
“Obviously, Airdrie Housing Limited is moving forward with a project right now,” Brown said. “Until it’s legislated and they have all the details ironed out it’s hard to comment. We have the project coming up, it’s already been approved.”
Consultation surrounding the revisions will continue into the summer. To view all of the revisions, visit mgareview.alberta.ca
