RTA · Municipal Government Act
1 Interpretation
(a) "ALSA regional plan" means a regional plan as defined in
the Alberta Land Stewardship Act;
(a.1) "business" means
(i) a commercial, merchandising or industrial activity or
undertaking,
(ii) a profession, trade, occupation, calling or employment,
or
(iii) an activity providing goods or services,
whether or not for profit and however organized or formed,
including a co-operative or association of persons;
(b) "by-election" means an el ection to fill a vacancy on a
council other than at a general election;
(c) "chief administrative officer " means a person appointed to a
position under section 205;
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(d) "chief elected official" means the person elected or
appointed as chief elected official under section 150;
(e) "council" means
(i) the council of a city, town, village, summer village,
municipal district or specialized municipality,
(ii) repealed 1995 c24 s2,
(iii) the council of a town under the Parks Towns Act, or
(iv) the council of a municipa lity incorporated by a special
Act;
(f) "council committee" means a committee, board or other
body established by a council under this Act but does not
include an assessment review board established under
section 454 or a subdivision and development appeal board
established under section 627;
(g) "councillor" includes the chief elected official;
(h) "designated officer" means a person appointed to a position
established under section 210(1);
(i) "elector" means a person w ho is eligible to vote in the
election for a councillor under the Local Authorities
Election Act;
(j) "enactment" means
(i) an Act of the Legislature of Alberta and a regulation
made under an Act of the Legislature of Alberta, and
(ii) an Act of the Parliament of Canada and a statutory
instrument made under an Act of the Parliament of
Canada,
but does not include a bylaw made by a council;
(k) "general election" means a n election held to fill vacancies
on council caused by the passage of time, and includes a
first election;
(k.1) "growth management board" means a growth management
board established under Part 17.1;
(k.2) "Indian band" means a ba nd within the meaning of the
Indian Act (Canada);
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(k.3) "Indian reserve" means a reserve within the meaning of the
Indian Act (Canada);
(l) "Land and Property Rights Tribunal" means the Land and
Property Rights Tribunal established under the Land and
Property Rights Tribunal Act;
(m) "local authority" means
(i) a municipal authority,
(ii) a provincial health agency or regional health authority
under the Provincial Health Agencies Act,
(iii) a regional services commission, and
(iv) the board of trustees of a school division under the
Education Act;
(n) "market value" means the amount that a property, as defined
in section 284(1)(r), might be expected to realize if it is sold
on the open market by a willing seller to a willing buyer;
(o) "Minister" means the Minist er determined under section 16
of the Government Organization Act as the Minister
responsible for this Act;
(p) "municipal authority" mean s a municipality, improvement
district and special area and, if the context requires, in the
case of an improvement district and special area,
(i) the geographical area of the improvement district or
special area, or
(ii) the Minister, where the imp rovement district or special
area is authorized or required to act;
(q) repealed 2020 cL-2.3 s24(2);
(r) "municipal purposes" means th e purposes set out in section
3;
(s) "municipality" means
(i) a city, town, village, summe r village, municipal district
or specialized municipality,
(ii) repealed 1995 c24 s2,
(iii) a town under the Parks Towns Act, or
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(iv) a municipality formed by special Act,
or, if the context requires, the geographical area within the
boundaries of a municipality described in subclauses (i) to
(iv);
(t) "natural person powers" mean s the capacity, rights, powers
and privileges of a natural person;
(u) "owner" means
(i) in respect of unpatented land, the Crown,
(ii) in respect of other land, t he person who is registered
under the Land Titles Act as the owner of the fee simple
estate in the land, and
(iii) in respect of any property other than land, the person in
lawful possession of it;
(v) "parcel of land" means
(i) where there has been a subdivision, any lot or block
shown on a plan of subdivision that has been registered
in a land titles office;
(ii) where a building affixed to the land that would without
special mention be transferred by a transfer of land has
been erected on 2 or more lots or blocks shown on a plan
of subdivision that has been registered in a land titles
office, all those lots or blocks;
(iii) a quarter section of lan d according to the system of
surveys under the Surveys Act or any other area of land
described on a certificate of title;
(w) "pecuniary interest" means pecuniary interest within the
meaning of Part 5, Division 6;
(x) "population" means population as determined by, and
specified by order of, the Minister under section 604.1;
(y) "public utility" means a syst em or works used to provide
one or more of the following for public consumption,
benefit, convenience or use:
(i) water or steam;
(ii) sewage disposal;
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(iii) public transportation operated by or on behalf of the
municipality;
(iv) irrigation;
(v) drainage;
(vi) fuel;
(vii) electric power;
(viii) heat;
(ix) waste management;
(x) residential and commercial street lighting,
and includes the thing that is provided for public
consumption, benefit, convenience or use;
(y.1) "regional services commi ssion" means a regional services
commission under Part 15.1;
(z) "road" means land
(i) shown as a road on a plan of survey that has been filed
or registered in a land titles office, or
(ii) used as a public road,
and includes a bridge forming part of a public road and any
structure incidental to a public road;
(z.1) "summer village residence" means a parcel of land having at
least one building the whole or any part of which was
designed or intended for, or is used as, a residence by one
person or as a shared residence by 2 or more persons,
whether on a permanent, seasonal or occasional basis;
(aa) "tax" means
(i) a property tax,
(ii) a business tax,
(iii) a business improvement area tax,
(iii.1) a community revitalization levy,
(iv) a special tax,
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(v) a well drilling equipment tax,
(v.1) a clean energy improvement tax,
(vi) a local improvement tax, and
(vii) a community aggregate payment levy;
(bb) "taxpayer" means a person liable to pay a tax;
(cc) "whole council" means
(i) all of the councillors tha t comprise the council under
section 143,
(ii) if there is a vacancy on council and the council is not
required to hold a by-election under section 162 or 163,
the remaining councillors, or
(iii) if there is a vacancy on council and the Minister orders
that the remaining councillors constitute a quorum under
section 160 or 168, the remaining councillors.
(1.1) Repealed 2019 c22 s10(2).
(1.2) In this Act, a reference to a body of water is to be interpreted
as a reference to
(a) a permanent and natura lly occurring water body, or
(b) a naturally occur ring river, stream, watercourse or lake.
(2) For the purposes of this Act, a municipality or group of
municipalities controls a corporation if
(a) the municipality or group of municipalities hold, other than
by way of security only, securities of the corporation to
which are attached more than 50% of the votes that may be
cast to elect directors of the corporation and, if exercised,
are sufficient to elect a majority of the directors of the
corporation, or
(b) all or a majority of its mem bers or directors are appointed
by the municipality or group of municipalities.
(2.1) For the purposes of the definition of "summer village
residence" in subsection (1)(z.1), "building" includes
(a) a manufactured home, as defined in section 284(1)(m),
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(b) a mobile home, as defined in section 284(1)(n.1),
(c) a modular home, as defined in section 284(1)(n.2), or
(d) a travel trailer, as defined in section 284(1)(w.1),
but does not include a tent.
(3) For the purposes of this Act, a meeting or part of a meeting is
considered to be closed to the public if
(a) any members of the public are not permitted to attend the
entire meeting or part of the meeting,
(b) the council, committee or other body holding the meeting
instructs any member of the public to leave the meeting or
part of the meeting, other than for improper conduct, or
(c) the council, committee or other body holding the meeting
holds any discussions separate from the public during the
meeting or part of the meeting.
RSA 2000 cM-26 s1;2005 c14 s2;2012 cE-0.3 s279;2013 c17 s2;
2015 c8 s2;2016 c24 s4;2017 c13 s1(2);2017 c22 s38;2018 c6 s2;
2019 c22 s10(2);2020 cL-2.3 s24(2);2022 c16 s9(2);2023 c9 s19(2);
2024 c10 s31
May, 2026
Aboriginal peoples. See Indian bands
and reserves; Metis settlements
access
information
assessment, 299-301
auditors (See auditors and audits)
salaries, 217(3)
planning
development permit condition,
650(1)(a)
environmental reserve access to
water, 664(1)(c)(ii)
to a subdivision, 655(1)(b)(i)
Access to Information Act (ATIA)
assessment information, 301.1
council meetings, open or closed,
197
personal information in petitions,
226.2, 240.93
provision of information to
councillor, 208.1(2)(b)
publishing of employee
compensation information,
215.2(8)
salary information, 217(3)
accountability framework,
councillor. See councillors,
accountability framework
accounting standards. See also
financial administration
definitions
accounting standards, 241(a)
CPA Canada Public Sector
Accounting Handbook,
241(d.1)
accounts, municipal. See banks and
banking
accredited independent school. See
independent schools and colleges
acquisition of land
area redevelopment plans, 635(a)(iv)
conservation reserves, 644(3), 661.1
expropriation (See expropriation)
improvement districts, 601
land designated for public use under
land use bylaw, 644
minerals acquisition under tax
recovery, 431
outside Alberta by regional services
commission, 602.17
outside municipal boundaries, 72
Act, inconsistencies and conflicts,
2(2), 10, 13
acting chief elected official
conditions, 152(3)
oath requirement, 156
administration and organization
advertisements (See advertisements)
assessors (See assessors)
banking (See banks and banking)
chief administrative officer (See
chief administrative officer
(CAO))
council powers, 202-203
council's responsibilities for, 201,
203, 205
designated officers (See designated
officers)
documents (See records and
documents)
employees (See employees)
fidelity bond, 212.1
inquiry, 572
inspections, 571
liability (See liability of councillors;
liability of municipalities;
liability of municipal officers)
office location, 204
official administrator (See official
administrator)
administrator. See chief
administrative officer (CAO);
official administrator
advertisements, 606-606.1
Alberta Gazette, publish in
assessment guidelines, 322(4)-(5)
assessment notices for designated
industrial property, 311(3)
improvement district changes, 584
order for school board purposes,
671(8)
orders for amalgamation,
annexation, change of status,
dissolution, or formation,
139
public auction, 421(1)(a)