A municipal guide to post-election obligations

This Insight was prepared with the assistance of law student Josh Derko.

As the results from Alberta’s 2025 municipal elections become official, new Council members will need to turn their focus from campaigning to learning their role in municipal government.

Mandatory orientation training

For municipalities, the post-election period is a critical time of transition, where understanding the relationships, roles and the responsibilities of an elected official and the associated limitations will be critical to their government’s success.

To ensure councillors are equipped for their roles, section 201.1(1) of the Municipal Government Act (MGA) require municipalities to offer orientation training, with each councillor’s attendance being mandatory. The topics that must be covered in the orientation training are broken into two parts set out below.

Part 1

Section 201.1(1)(a) of the MGA provides that the first training session must be held prior to or on the same day as the first organizational meeting after a general election. Under the MGA, all municipalities must hold an annual organizational meeting not later than 14 days after the third Monday in October. This means that all municipalities must hold an organizational meeting and complete this first training session no later than November 3, 2025.

The following topics must be covered in the first training session:

• The role of municipalities in Alberta
• Municipal organization and function
• Roles and responsibilities of council and councillors
• The municipality’s code of conduct
• Roles and responsibilities of the chief administrative officer and staff

If a councillor is elected at a by-election, this training must be completed on or before the day that councillor takes the oath of office.

Part 2

Pursuant to section 201.1(1)(b) of the MGA, the second training session must be held prior to or on the same day as the first regularly scheduled council meeting. Council may, by resolution, extend the time for this second training by up to 90 days under section 201.1(2) of the MGA.

The following topics must be covered in the second training session:

• Key municipal plans, policies and projects
• Budgeting and financial administration
• Public participation
• Any other topic prescribed by the regulations

If a councillor is elected at a by-election, this training must be completed within 90 days after that councillor takes the oath of office.

Mandatory emergency management training

In addition to the mandatory orientation training under the MGA, section 8 of the Local Authority Emergency Management Regulation provides that municipal elected officials and delegates in Alberta must complete the Local Authority Elected Official (LAEO) course within 90 days of taking office.

The LAEO course is offered online or in-person by the Alberta Emergency Management Agency. This course provides background on the fundamentals of emergency management, introduces key emergency management partners and explains the implications of provincial emergency management legislation.

Key takeaways

The orientation topics required under the MGA are intended to provide councillors with clarification on their role, knowledge about the municipality’s structure and activities and an overview of municipal government.

Our MLT Aikins municipal team is equipped to assist municipalities to ensure they are compliant under the MGA. If you have any questions regarding the MGA and the obligations imposed on municipalities, please reach out to a member of our team.

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