Expense Limits Regulation

(Consolidated up to 181/2025) Alberta regulation 171/2024 Local Authorities Election Act EXPENSE LIMITS REGULATION Table of Contents 1 Expense limits — candidates for councillor 2 Expense limits — local political parties 3 Expenses incurred by slates 4 Expense limits — third parties 5 Persons residing in an area 6 Transitional 7 Expiry 8 Coming into force Expense limits — candidates for councillor 1 (1) For the purposes of section 147.34 of the Act, no candidate for election as a councillor and no chief financial officer of a candidate for election as a councillor shall incur campaign expenses that exceed the following limits: (a) during the year before the year of a general election, the greater of (i) $10 000, and (ii) the amount determined under subsection (3) for the year; (b) during the year of a general election, the greater of (i) $20 000, and (ii) the amount determined under subsection (4) for the year; (c) during the campaign period in respect of a by‑election, the greater of (i) $20 000, and (ii) the amount determined under subsection (4) for the campaign period. (2) No candidate for election as a councillor and no chief financial officer of a candidate for election as a councillor shall incur campaign expenses in the first 2 years of a campaign period in respect of a general election. (3) For the purposes of subsection (1)(a)(ii), the amount referred to in that subsection is 1/2 of the amount determined in accordance with subsection (4)(a) or (b), as applicable. (4) For the purposes of subsection (1)(b)(ii) and (c)(ii), (a) for candidates for councillor other than the chief elected official, (i) if there are wards in the local jurisdiction in which the individual is a candidate, the amount referred to in subsection (1)(b)(ii) and (c)(ii) is determined by the formula $1 x (A/B) where A is the number of persons residing in the area of the local jurisdiction at the start of the campaign period as determined in accordance with section 5; B is the number of wards in the local jurisdiction at the start of the campaign period, and (ii) in any other case, the amount referred to in subsection (1)(b)(ii) and (c)(ii) is determined by multiplying $1 by the number of persons residing in the area of the local jurisdiction at the start of the campaign period as determined in accordance with section 5, and (b) for candidates for chief elected official, the amount referred to in subsection (1)(b)(ii) and (c)(ii) is determined by multiplying $1 by the number of persons residing in the area of the local jurisdiction at the start of the campaign period as determined in accordance with section 5. Expense limits — local political parties 2 (1) This section applies where local political parties are authorized by the regulations under section 160.1 of the Act in respect of a local jurisdiction. (2) For the purposes of section 160.2(1) of the Act, no local political party registered in a local jurisdiction under the regulations referred to in subsection (1) and no person acting on behalf of a local political party shall incur campaign expenses that exceed the following limits: (a) during the year before the year of a general election, (i) if there are wards in the local jurisdiction, for each ward in which a candidate’s nomination for endorsement has been accepted by the local political party as of November 1 of that year, the amount determined by the formula $0.50 x (C/D) where C is the number of persons residing in the area of the local jurisdiction at the start of the campaign period as determined in accordance with section 5; D is the number of wards in the local jurisdiction at the start of the campaign period, and (ii) in any other case, the amount determined by multiplying $0.50 by the number of persons residing in the area of the local jurisdiction at the start of the campaign period as determined in accordance with section 5; (b) during the year of a general election or during a campaign period for a by‑election, (i) if there are wards in the local jurisdiction, for each ward in which the local political party has registered an endorsed candidate as of nomination day, the amount determined by the formula $1 x (C/D) where C is the number of persons residing in the area of the local jurisdiction at the start of the campaign period as determined in accordance with section 5; D is the number of wards in the local jurisdiction at the start of the campaign period, and (ii) in any other case, the amount determined by multiplying $1 by the number of persons residing in the area of the local jurisdiction at the start of the campaign period as determined in accordance with section 5. (3) No local political party and no person acting on behalf of a local political party shall incur campaign expenses in the first 2 years of a campaign period in respect of a general election. Expenses incurred by slates 3 (1) Where a slate incurs shared campaign expenses on behalf of its candidates, the total amount of those expenses shall be allocated equally among those candidates and included in the campaign expenses of those candidates for the purposes of section 1. (2) No slate and no person acting for a slate shall incur shared campaign expenses in the first 2 years of a campaign period in respect of a general election. Expense limits — third parties 4 For the purposes of section 165(1) of the Act, no registered third party shall incur election advertising expenses that exceed, in an election advertising period in respect of a local jurisdiction, the product obtained by multiplying $0.50 by the number of persons residing in the area of the local jurisdiction at the start of the election advertising period as determined in accordance with section 5. Persons residing in an area 5 (1) For the purposes of this Regulation, the number of persons residing in an area at the start of a campaign period or at the start of an election advertising period is determined using the population most recently specified by order of the Minister under section 604.1 of the Municipal Government Act prior to the start of the campaign period or prior to the start of an election advertising period. (2) Notwithstanding subsection (1), in respect of a general election to be held in 2025, the number of persons residing in an area at the start of the campaign period for that election is to be determined using the 2024 Municipal Affairs Population List that was specified to be the population for all municipal authorities in Alberta by order made by the Minister on March 20, 2025 under section 604.1 of the Municipal Government Act . AR 171/2024 s5;181/2025 Transitional 6 If a local political party is registered in a local jurisdiction under the regulations referred to in section 2(1) before January 1, 2025, the reference in section 2(2)(a)(i) to “November 1 of that year” shall be read as a reference to “the day the local political party is entered into the register of local political parties and slates by the Registrar or authorized local jurisdiction”. Expiry 7 For the purpose of ensuring that this Regulation is reviewed for ongoing relevancy and necessity, with the option that it may be repassed in its present or an amended form following a review, this Regulation expires on April 30, 2028. Coming into force 8 This Regulation comes into force on the coming into force of section 1(75) of the Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act, 2024 .