Clearwater County joins Red Deer County in voicing Bill 28 concerns

Clearwater County has joined neighbouring Red Deer County in raising concerns with the Alberta government over Bill 28.

Officially known as the Municipal Affairs and Housing Statutes Amendment Act, the legislation received royal assent in mid-May.

According to the Alberta government, Bill 28 is intended to modernize municipal legislation across the province while improving clarity, consistency and accountability in municipal governance.

In a joint letter to Dan Williams, Minister of Municipal Affairs, the counties outline concerns ranging from aggregate pit approvals and municipal taxation to changes affecting Alberta’s public libraries.

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Aggregate pit approvals

The counties say Bill 28 would give the provincial government expanded authority over the approval and regulation of aggregate pits, including the ability to override local land-use bylaws.

While acknowledging the province’s role in environmental protection, the letter argues provincial reviews do not always account for hyper-local impacts, including increased traffic on rural roads, dust and noise.

Libraries

The counties also object to proposed changes to the Libraries Act.

The letter says Alberta’s public libraries have long been governed by locally appointed boards and staffed by professionals who understand the needs of their communities.

It argues that giving the Alberta government broad powers to inspect library collections and impose age-based access restrictions is a disproportionate response to a problem that is not widespread.

The counties also say the changes could increase operating costs by requiring staff retraining and the reorganization of library collections.

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Assessment and taxation

Taxation concerns focus on Bill 28’s prohibition on residential sub-classes and its move toward standardized assessment rates.

While supporting the overall goal of greater clarity in taxation, the counties say rural municipalities rely on stable industrial and residential assessments to fund essential services.

The letter warns that if standardized assessments reduce local assessment values without additional provincial support, more of the tax burden could shift to residents and farms.

Throughout the letter, Clearwater and Red Deer counties emphasize that local councils are best positioned to make decisions based on the unique geographic and demographic needs of their communities.

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