The Alberta Liberals and Alberta Party unveiled policies last week, with both promising to rebalance the relationship between municipalities and the province.
Liberal leader David Swann and Alberta Party leader Glenn Taylor announced their proposal at a gathering of the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association, unveiling similar policies that would give municipalities more control over their own affairs.
Swann is promising to talk to communities about how they raise revenue and come up with a consistent approach for predictable funding.
He said the Liberals would turn over the education portion of property taxes to municipalities. He also pledged to allow an expansion of mayor and councillor terms from three to four years.
The Liberals are also promising special charters for Edmonton and Calgary. Swann said the sheer size of both cities means they have to be treated differently.
"They have two-thirds of the Alberta population. They are really in the crunch with social and infrastructure challenges, environmental challenges that other cities aren't quite as stretched by."
The Liberals are open to negotiation on what would be in those charters, but suggested the two major centres could have greater taxation powers and no borrowing limit, which the province now imposes.
They are also proposing to give both cities one-time payments to bolster their reserve funds and make them more permanent.
Alberta Party
The Alberta Party is also promising to extend municipal leaders' terms to four years. They are promising to have the province move away from using the education portion of property taxes.
Taylor said that, across the province municipal leaders represent just as many people as provincial ones and it is time they were recognized.
"They are an order of government that should be less subservient to the province and have more ability and autonomy to represent their citizens interest."
He said the tax plan makes sense because it would allow municipalities to deal with local issues without asking the provincial government to fund them.
"This is not about adding taxation; this is about equitable distribution so the services those taxes are expected to provide are closest to the citizens."
The party is also promising local government charters, clearly outlining the different roles and responsibilities of the province and municipalities.
Taylor said making municipalities stronger benefits the entire political system.
"More effective government at the local level makes for stronger communities and stronger communities make for a stronger province."
Swann said he noticed the similarities between the two parties' policies when they were introduced and said he was pleased to see the Alberta Party embracing their ideas.
"It raises questions about why they are forming and how they would be different than the Alberta Liberals," said Swann.
Taylor highlighted several differences between the two parties, including not putting as much emphasis on the two major cities.
"The Alberta Party is proposing a local government charter for all communities, not just Edmonton and Calgary," he said. "We are proposing to look at more than just big city charters."
