Minister's council on infrastructure financing

The newly formed Minister’s Council on Infrastructure Financing is scheduled to begin next month. The Council is tasked to develop recommendations for the Minister of Municipal Affairs on how using debt financing by municipalities could be optimized to advance infrastructure for new housing development and critical infrastructure in all municipalities. 

The Minister’s Council is chaired by BILD Alberta and will have representatives from Alberta Municipalities (ABmunis), the cities of Calgary and Edmonton, the Mid-Sized Cities Mayors Caucus, Rural Municipalities of Alberta, and the Alberta Construction Association.  

One of the concepts that will be explored by the Council is the potential for the province to create a fund that can be used to finance the upfront infrastructure required for new housing development where revolving loans are repaid through development fees. The concept is intended to reduce the borrowing challenges that municipalities and developers sometimes face, which can delay development. The concept is based on a report by the Cities Institute on behalf of the BILD Alberta Alternative Infrastructure Financing Working Group that operated from May to August 2026.  

ABmunis was a participant in that former working group where we stressed the need for additional research to understand how that financing concept would: 

• integrate with off-site levies, 
• impact municipal debt limits, 
• support continued access to the province’s existing loans to local authorities program, and 
• maintain local autonomy over planning decisions.  

The Minister is also asking the Council to review options regarding municipal debt limits, municipal bonds, asset management and other potential tools to support municipalities of all sizes.  

Timelines for the Council are limited but we are pleased that Minister Williams recognizes the challenges that municipalities face in funding infrastructure and we are hopeful this will be the start of a broader conversation on how municipal finances can be improved to advance the growth and long-term success of Alberta’s communities.  

ABmunis will continue to provide updates through our newsletter, The Weekly. We encourage members to direct any questions you may have to our advocacy [at] abmunis.ca (Advocacy Team).