A resolution brought forward by the town of Rocky Mountain House was met with general enthusiasm by delegates at the Alberta Municipalities (ABMunis) fall conference in Calgary.
The town’s resolution seeks to have Alberta Municipalities advocate to the Alberta government that the province collect school taxes, and not have the requisition show up on municipal tax bills any longer.
Mayor Shane Boniface said it went well, with 86 per cent of delegates voting in favour of the resolution. The hope is that a change will reduce confusion for taxpayers, as residents have raised concerns about rising school taxes on their municipal tax bills — something out of the control of towns, villages and cities.
Rocky Mountain House Mayor Shane Boniface speaking about a Nov. 13 resolution brought to the ABMunis fall conference in Calgary
Back in March, town council heard that — with the school tax increasing 6.3 per cent in 2025 and potentially even more in 2026 — the perception could be that it’s the town raising taxes on its residents.
Additionally, municipal leaders have raised concerns that they’re still required to pay the entire school tax bill to the province, even as delinquent tax rolls abound in their own communities.
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Rocky Mountain House Mayor Shane Boniface speaks to reporters at the Alberta Municipalities fall conference in Calgary, Nov. 13, 2025. (Denise Boniface)
The idea for the resolution was first proposed by the former 2021-2025 Rocky Mountain House town council; something the newly-elected mayor acknowledged.
In a public social media post, Boniface thanked the former council of Acting Mayor Len Phillips, as well as councillors Ken Moesker, Dale Shippelt, Marley Capraro, Tina Hutchinson and Dave Auld for getting the ball rolling.
Along with bringing the resolution forward, Boniface says council has also received some face time with provincial power brokers, including Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams.
In the meeting with Williams, Boniface says council thanked the minister for provincial support for projects over the years, and brought a potential future project to his attention.
“We also brought up that we’re going to be looking at a future recreation centre,” he says. “We’d like the province to help us finance that and build it.”
Rocky Mountain House Mayor Shane Boniface speaking about council’s meeting with Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams
The potential new recreation facility — namely a field house — was identified as a top priority in the town’s newly-adopted ten-year Recreation Master Plan.
The plan calls for a feasibility study on a brand new fieldhouse to be undertaken in the next few years. Suggested amenities include an indoor walking/running track, multisport courts, turf field, indoor playground, and climbing wall.
Rocky Mountain House Mayor Shane Boniface presents a resolution at the Alberta Municipalities fall conference in Calgary, Nov. 13, 2025. (Denise Boniface)
The Alberta Municipalities fall conference wraps up Nov. 14.
The town of Rocky Mountain House also brought a resolution to the 2024 fall conference in Red Deer.
The resolution, which passed with 77.1 per cent approval, asked for Alberta Municipalities to advocate for an “arm’s length” office to be established at the provincial level to handle code of conduct complaints so local councils don’t get bogged down.
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