ABmunis’ 2025 year in review
By Dylan Bressey, President
I spent some time over the Christmas holidays reflecting on everything Alberta Municipalities accomplished in 2025. While we encountered numerous challenges throughout the year, we seized many opportunities to improve life for Albertans in the communities we serve.
Here’s a quick run-down of ABmunis’ 2025 highlights:
Financial advocacy paid off
Fiscal fairness was a top priority in 2025. When Alberta’s budget was released in February, we welcomed increased Grants in Place of Taxes (GIPOT) and $90 million more in capital funding under the Local Government Fiscal Framework (LGFF) Capital program. However, we raised concerns about stagnant social services funding, rising education property taxes and the cancellation of the Local Growth and Sustainability Grant.
Through our “Property Taxes Reimagined” initiative launched in 2025, we will help Albertans understand the reasons behind rising property taxes and start conversations about how municipal services should be funded. The project has so far received positive feedback from members, provincial officials, and residents, and I appreciate everyone who amplified it online. We will continue to rely on your support going forward.
Following the introduction of Canada’s 2025 budget in October, we voiced concerns about the Build Communities Strong Fund conditions, such as mandatory provincial matching and reduced development fees, which could impact municipal autonomy and infrastructure funding. Our previous advocacy win – revising the provincial government’s loan interest rate policy -- saved our members several million dollars in borrowing costs this year.
2025 municipal elections: Challenges & outcomes
October’s municipal elections introduced new faces and ideas to councils across Alberta. We commend everyone who ran for office. Some changes to the Local Authority Elections Act (LAEA) added administrative difficulties and costs, so we’re gathering member feedback to recommend improvements to the provincial government in early 2026.
Our “Running for Municipal Office” campaign inspired community builders and business leaders to run in this year’s elections. More than 400 prospective candidates participated in one of our webinars. Our toolkits helped candidates and elected officials navigate social media and council-CAO relationships.
Health care, housing, policing & public safety
Access to health care remained a core advocacy issue. Our ongoing efforts saw more nurse practitioners (NPs) introduced, including NP-run clinics like Wembley’s, and we continued pushing for better EMS response times and more fire department funding. We also supported Friends of Medicare’s research into municipal health care contributions.
Increasing housing supply was another strategic priority. We submitted recommendations on off-site levies, encouraging thorough provincial consultation on legislative changes to maintain Alberta’s leadership in housing starts and affordability.
On policing and public safety, we advocated for municipalities having more policing oversight, fairer funding, and improved service delivery, especially in smaller communities. In March, we supported new governance structures for police services and welcomed the December creation of a Police Review Commission.
Making sure municipal voices were heard
We worked hard to ensure provincial officials understood municipal perspectives through engagement on:
- Regulations on council codes of conduct, information requests by councillors
- Rules for recall of municipal elected officials
- Changes to ownership of school sites
- Updates to the Water Act
- Updates to the Business Improvement Areas regulation
- Changes to the Alberta Community Partnership program
- Fire service levels
- Review of the assessment models for industrial property
- Regulation for postponement of a local election.
Innovation & sustainability
In many respects, 2025 was a year of innovation. We launched the AI Adoption Toolkit at our annual Convention, showcasing examples like Drayton Valley’s AI-powered water treatment plant. The adoption of Alberta’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program in April shifted recycling costs to producers, easing municipal financial burdens – something ABmunis worked towards for more than 10 years.
Delivering member value
Our Business Development team partnered with members across Alberta to deliver tailored products and services. Regional managers met with elected officials and administrators to build connections and provide timely recommendations to help communities thrive. We also supported not-for-profits, which are essential to building strong communities.
Clean Energy Improvement Program (CEIP)
Our Clean Energy Improvement Program (CEIP) gives property owners access to flexible financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy, repaid through property taxes. Twenty-five communities now participate, with Airdrie, Banff, Jasper, Spruce Grove, and Wetaskiwin joining in 2025. Beaumont and Lac La Biche are working with our team to design new programs that meet their communities’ needs.
Departing Board members
We are grateful to everyone who completed their terms on our Board of Directors. I extend my heartfelt appreciation to Tyler Gandam, who served admirably for 10 years including two as President, and to Scott Akkermans, Peter Demong, Ren Giesbrecht, Trina Jones, Andrew Knack, Kourtney Penner, and Tina Petrow. Thank you for your individual and collective contributions.
Final thoughts
In 2025, we made significant progress on fiscal fairness, embraced innovation, and kept members’ needs front and centre. Alberta Municipalities’ mission continues unchanged for 2026: provide visionary leadership, solutions-focused advocacy, and service excellence.
