Town of Coaldale removes Council Code of Conduct Bylaw

Posted on July 3, 2025 by Sunny South News

By Kristine Jean
Sunny South News

The Town of Coaldale’s Council Code of Conduct Bylaw 837-GE-12-21, has been repealed and removed from the town’s list of active bylaws.  

The Government of Alberta passed Bill 50, the Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 earlier this spring, on May 15. The bill aims to modernize municipal processes, improve election accessibility, enhance local governance, and strengthen homebuyer protections. The bill also amends several pieces of legislation including the Local Authorities Election Act (LAEA), the Municipal Government Act (MGA), the New Home Buyer Protection Act (NHBPA), and the Safety Codes Act (SCA).

As a result of its passage, Bill 50 repeals all of code of conduct bylaws at the municipal level, which are now no longer legally enforceable. 

Town of Coaldale councillors received an update on Bill 50 at the June 9, regular council meeting, from Town of Coaldale Municipal Clerk, Lana Antony. 

“Most notably, included in Bill 50 was the repeal of the council code of conduct. The provincial governing body and Municipal Affairs is still in consultation to explore options to create a municipal ethics commissioner,” said Antony. “To address any future council accountability and ethics issues that may arise.” 

A motion was not required to repeal the Town of Coaldale council code of conduct bylaw and councillors received the update as information.