There’s far more to being elected to a municipal council than sitting at a table a couple of times a month participating in the local governing body’s decision-making process.
And while Alberta Municipalities (ABmunis) has for some time already been involved in helping to deliver the Elected Officials Education Program for newly elected council members alongside the Rural Municipalities of Alberta in conjunction with the provincial government, a new initiative has been launched to help prospective candidates determine if the position is right for them, said Scott Lundy, communications manager for ABmunis.
In the lead-up to the upcoming 2025 municipal election this fall, a series of one-hour webinars have been made available for anyone interested in further exploring the job’s expectations, said Lundy.
Aside from offering educational insight into what all is involved in sitting in a council’s chambers, the intent is to help potential candidates decide whether to officially submit their nomination papers.
Some people are surprised when they learn just how much is actually involved in taking on the responsibility of representing their community’s residents, he said.
The expectations on the amount of time and effort that is required to not only prepare for but also attend regular meetings is just the beginning, he said, adding there are numerous board and committee commitments involved that also come with their own roles and responsibilities.
“It’s a real eye-opener for a lot of those first-term councillors,” he said, adding there is a lot of good involved in serving on a council, but that it’s also important to know what it takes.
Those who do end up running for office and go onto get elected for their first time must then take on an in-person, two-day course called the Elected Officials Education Program, also known as Munis 101, he said.
“They have a short timeframe to take this course” after being elected, he said.
The webinar series geared toward those who are interested in becoming a candidate is a separate program that was started near the end of April and will continue to run until mid-September, he said.
“It’s an opportunity for them to hear from serving councillors about what it’s like to serve on municipal council and ask questions before they decide to throw their hats into the proverbial ring,” he said.
“It will help them determine if it’s something they want to do.”
Visit www.abmunis.ca/events and scroll down for a complete list of all the available webinars, which are essentially categorized by the size of a municipality a candidate is considering running for.
Lundy said a series of videos featuring serving councillors including members of ABmunis’ board of directors has also been posted on the ABmunis website under the theme of “Making a difference in your community.”
The topics discussed by the elected officials include but are not limited to:
• Describing the importance of working as a team on council;
• How becoming an elected official has impacted their family;
• What other council responsibilities are involved;
• How much time they spend on council-related business; and,
• What they want Albertans to be more aware of regarding a municipal elected official’s expectations;
Additional resources available on the ABmunis website include a 2025 Candidates Guide as well as a Social Media Toolkit for elected officials.
