Info for candidates, EOEP 'Munis 101' for councillors

Alberta Municipalities (ABmunis) and the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) are working to encourage Albertans who may already be community leaders to consider becoming candidates in this year’s municipal elections.

The initiative, which got underway in February 2025, is called the Running for Municipal Office project.

Webinars outline the challenges & rewards

If you know of anyone thinking of running in this year's municipal elections, please let them know they can attend a one-hour webinar between now and mid-September. The webinar gives participants a chance to hear from municipal councillors about what it’s like to serve on municipal council and ask questions before they decide to throw their hats into the political arena. To learn more and register for a webinar, visit the Upcoming Events listing on the ABmunis’ Events web page.

Videos provide first-person accounts of what to expect as an elected official

We’ve also published a series of videos on our website that feature current councillors touching on various aspects of sitting on municipal councils. The theme for these videos is Making a difference in your community. These wonderfully insightful videos cover a variety of topics, including:

• The importance of working as a team on council
• How becoming an elected official might impact your family
• Other council responsibilities
• What a normal council meeting day can look like
• The average amount of time spent on council-related business
• The best part about serving on council
• What more Albertans should know about municipal elected officials
• The one thing Albertans thinking of running for council should know.

Other helpful resources available

Finally, we’ve completed a 2025 Candidates' Guide and a Social Media Toolkit for Elected Officials. They’re among the resources listed on ABmunis’ Running for Municipal Office web page.

Next step for newly elected officials: ‘Munis 101’ course

Provincial legislation requires newly elected officials to take the Elected Officials Education Program (EOEP) ‘Munis 101’ course within 90 days of taking their oaths of office. The course provides newly elected officials with the foundational knowledge needed to govern effectively. “Munis 101” covers essential topics that every councillor needs to understand, including:

• Role of municipalities & municipal governance
• Roles & responsibilities of council, councillors, CAOs, & municipal staff
• Budgeting & financial administration
• Public participation & municipal planning.

Municipalities should pre-register their councils for ‘Munis 101’ training before this year’s election to secure training spots, ensuring that elected officials receive timely orientation. With a variety of session dates available, both online and in-person, the course is an easy way to integrate legislated training into the post-election schedule.

The EOEP, which was formed in 2007, is jointly owned and operated by ABmunis and the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA). The program provides municipal elected officials with professional development opportunities and ensures they are well-positioned to serve their communities.

For more information, check out EOEP’s ‘Munis 101’ web page. Elected Officials who complete six EOEP courses, in addition to Munis 101, will earn a Municipal Elected Leaders Certificate awarded by University of Alberta’s Augustana Extended Education. Questions can be directed to EOEP’s Registrar by registrar [at] eoep.ca (email).