EDMONTON – The Alberta Ombudsman releases a series of case examples highlighting the benefits of a collaborative approach to resolving complaints about municipalities.
In April 2018, the role of the Alberta Ombudsman expanded to include municipalities. Municipalities serve as local government and are responsible for providing services, facilities, safety and infrastructure for their communities. In Alberta, the Municipal Government Act (MGA) guides how municipalities function, how they provide services that in the opinion of council are necessary or desirable for all or a part of the municipality.
This report, the first of its kind released by our office, describes what we have learned while providing oversight to this new jurisdictional sector. In its pages, we share observations from our first two years and our work building an understanding of our office’s role as a neutral, independent third party, providing oversight of Alberta’s public service. Most importantly, we relay the experiences of municipal complainants and explore how our office played a role in resolving their complaints.
“The stories we hear from Albertans having trouble while accessing municipal government programs can offer valuable insights into how frontline services are delivered. In sharing these observations, we aim to give voice to those affected and provide the opportunity for improvements across the greater public service.”
Marianne Ryan, Alberta Ombudsman
