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Municipal Services
Contact Information
Municipal Services Branch
17th Floor, Commerce Place
10155 - 102 Street
Edmonton, Alberta T5J 4L4
Phone: 780-427-2225
Toll-free in Alberta: 310-0000
Fax: 780-420-1016
E-mail: lgsmail@gov.ab.ca
The Municipal Services Branch works closely with local governments to help them carry out their responsibilities. Among a wide array of services, the branch produces a variety of handbooks and offers courses to help elected officials perform their duties. It provides grants to eligible municipalities, including grants for projects designed to improve municipal administration, municipal services, or increase co-operation between municipalities. It also promotes regional partnerships between municipalities. Assistance with land-use planning advice, dispute resolutions and municipal status changes is also available.
Examples of branch activities include:
- providing analysis and advice on municipal issues
- supporting co-operation between municipalities
- providing policy, planning and analysis on a variety of issues
- compiling municipal financial and statistical information
- administering grant programs
The Municipal Services Branch is currently made up of five work units:
- Municipal Advisory Resources and Internship
- Municipal Grants
- Planning and Dispute Resolution
- Stakeholder Relations and Sustainability
- Emerging Issues
The Municipal Advisory Resources and Internship Unit promotes excellence in local government. It advises local government officials and the public on municipal administration, governance and finance. Other major responsibilities are:
- Providing advice on the local election process
- Providing advice on tax recovery procedures
- Training activities through programs like the Municipal Internship program
- Administering the Municipal Excellence Network
- Managing Improvement Districts in the national parks
The unit also provides elected officials with helpful publications and planning tools.
The Municipal Grants Unit develops grant policy and administers grants to
- 2006 Municipal Financial Assistance Handbook
- Grants for Municipalities
- Municipal Debenture Interest Rebate Program
The Stakeholder Relations and Sustainability Unit promotes the long term sustainability of municipalities by:
- Assisting municipalities who are undertaking organization change such as formation, amalgamation or dissolution
- Assisting municipalities in establishment of regional services commissions
- Supporting the ministry's relationship with municipalities and their associations
- Supporting policy development and consultation related to major policy issues such as municipal sustainability
- Compiling and distributing financial and statistical data and contact information related to municipalities
The Planning and Dispute Resolution Unit addresses matters relating to:
- Intermunicipal cooperation
- Mediation
- Land use planning
- Cross government land related policy
The Emerging Issues Unit researches and considers arising issues of potential importance to municipalities. The unit also liaises with other organizations both inside and outside of government to advocate for municipal interests.
Additional services and information provided by the Municipal Services Branch include:
On-line Workshop Registrations
- Municipal Locations
- Municipal Officials Search
- Rural Municipal Boundary Map
- Municipal Profiles
- Municipal Restructuring
- Elected Official Information
- Municipal Financial and Statistical Data
- 2006 Municipal Financial Assistance Handbook
- Events Calendar
- Mediation Services
- Municipal Administrators Survey
- Municipal Excellence Network
- Municipal Financial Reporting
- Regional Services Commission Financial Reporting
- Statistical Information Return
- Tangible Capital Assets Project
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