Candidate information

Council members’ roles and responsibilities include:

• Identifying strategic priorities to guide actions and decisions during their term.
• Approving an annual +$84-million municipal operating budget and +$15-million capital budget.
  • The operating budget covers day-to-day municipal operating expenses. The 2021 budget included $26.7 million collected on behalf of the Government of Alberta and the Leduc Regional Housing Foundation for school, designated industrial property and seniors' housing requisitions.
  • The capital budget includes infrastructure costs for buildings, roads, bridges and equipment.
• Committing to holding office for a four-year term and participating and attending the following:
  • regular and special council meetings
  • council committee meetings
  • meetings of other boards and agencies to which you are appointed as a council representative
  • conferences, conventions, seminars and workshops for training and discussion
  • other events promoting the municipality
• Managing your time to deal with telephone calls, visits from electors and attending community events.
• Working as a team with the rest of council and administration.
• Familiarizing yourself with legislation that will guide decision making, such as the following:
  • Section 3 of the Municipal Government Act
  • Section 153 of the Municipal Government Act
  • Section 201 of the Municipal Government Act

As per Section 154(1) of the Municipal Government Act:

A chief elected official, in addition to performing the duties of a councillor must

(a) preside when in attendance at a council meeting unless a bylaw provides that another councilor or other person is to preside, and

(b) perform any other duty imposed on a chief elected official by this or any other enactment or bylaw.

Leduc County participates in a variety of regional initiatives and works to ensure neighbouring municipalities share common economic and development goals. We are committed to working with our neighbours.

Council members can expect to attend a number of meetings with surrounding municipalities throughout the year. These are typically held in the evening.

Council members are compensated an annual salary, as determined by council in the annual budget ($78,663 as of 2020). The mayor is compensated an additional 20 per cent of this amount and the deputy mayor is compensated an additional five per cent.

Council members may receive compensation from their external appointments. These amounts go directly to the council member but must be accounted for in the annual financial statement.

Council members receive the following benefits, paid by the county:

• extended health coverage
• dental coverage
• group life coverage
• accidental death and dismemberment coverage
• Employee and Family Assistance Program
• Employer portion of Canada Pension Plan (CPP)
• Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) contribution or retirement allowance of $2,500

Leduc County reimburses council members for reasonable travel and accommodation costs incurred in the course of conducting county business. Mileage to certain common destinations is reimbursed in accordance with the current mileage rate.

Council members must submit expense claims for reimbursement within 60 days of the expense(s) being incurred.

Leduc County reimburses council members for home internet service to a maximum of $60 per month upon the submission of an invoice. 

Council members may participate in the Elected Official Education Program – a jointly owned subsidiary of the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) and Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA) – or another educational program. Reimbursement is detailed in the Councillor Fees and Expenses policy.

Each council member will be assigned an office at Leduc County Centre. Council members will determine the seating arrangement in council chamber at the annual organizational meeting.

Candidates who seek nomination must complete the following forms:

• Form 4 - Nomination Paper and Candidate’s Acceptance
• Form 5 - Candidate Information 

Nomination forms must be signed by at least five voters eligible to vote in the election and who reside in the same electoral division as the candidate. To ensure validity of nomination forms, a candidate is encouraged to submit more than the required five elector’s signatures.

As per section 27(1) of the Local Authorities Election Act:

Every nomination of a candidate must:

(a) be in the prescribed form,

(b) e signed by at least 5 persons who are electors eligible to vote in that election andb resident in the local jurisdiction on the date of signing the nomination,

(c) be accompanied with a written acceptance sworn or affirmed in the prescribed form by the person nominated,

(d) if required by bylaw, be accompanied with a deposit in the required amount.

The person nominated as a candidate is responsible for ensuring the nomination filed meets the requirements of the Local Authorities Election Act, under section 27.

Leduc County requires a deposit of $100 be submitted alongside nomination papers, as per the Nomination Deposit – Municipal Election Bylaw [Bylaw 3-21], and as allowed under section 29(2)(b) of the Local Authorities Election Act.

(1) A person nominated as a candidate may withdraw as a candidate at any time during the nomination period.

(2) Subject to subsection (3), at any time within 24 hours after the close of the nomination period, if more than the required number of candidates for any particular office are nominated, any person so nominated may withdraw as a candidate for the office for which the candidate was nominated by filing with the returning officer a withdrawal in writing.

(3) If, after one or more candidates have withdrawn in accordance with subsection (2), the number of remaining candidates does not exceed the number of vacancies to be filled, the returning officer shall refuse to accept further withdrawals.

As per section 68.1 of the Local Authorities Election Act:

(1) Each person nominated as a candidate may, on the nomination form, appoint an elector to be the candidate’s official agent.

(1.1) If it becomes necessary to appoint a new official agent, the candidate shall immediately notify the returning officer in writing of the contact information of the new official agent.

(2) A person who has, within the previous 10 years, been convicted of an offence under this Act, the Election Act, the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act or the Canada Elections Act (Canada) is not eligible to be appointed as an official agent.

(3) No candidate shall act as an official agent for any other candidate.

(4) The duties of an official agent are those assigned to the official agent by the candidate.

As per section 69 of the Local Authorities Election Act:

(1) If, at any time during voting hours, a person who is at least 18 years old presents to the presiding deputy a written notice, in a form acceptable to the returning officer,

(a) signed by a candidate, and

(b) stating that the person presenting the notice is to represent that candidate as the candidate’s scrutineer at the voting station,

the person presenting the notice shall be recognized by the presiding deputy as the scrutineer of the candidate.

(1.1) A person who has, within the previous 10 years, been convicted of an offence under this Act, the Election Act, the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act or the Canada Elections Act (Canada) is not eligible to be recognized as a scrutineer.

(2) Before a person is recognized as a scrutineer, the person shall make and subscribe before the presiding deputy at the voting station a statement in the prescribed form.

(3) The presiding deputy shall not permit a candidate to have an official agent or a scrutineer present while the candidate is present in a voting station during voting hours.

(3.1) The presiding deputy shall not permit a candidate to have both an official agent and a scrutineer present at the same time in a voting station during voting hours.

(4) A candidate or official agent personally may

(a) undertake the duties that the candidate’s scrutineer may undertake, and

(b) attend any place that the candidate’s scrutineer is authorized by this Act to attend.

(5) The presiding deputy may designate the place or places at a voting station where a candidate, an official agent or a scrutineer of a candidate may observe the election procedure, and in designating the place or places, the presiding deputy shall ensure that the candidate, official agent or scrutineer can observe any person making a statement under section 53(1)(b) or (2) or 78.

(6) When, in the provisions of the Act that relate to the election of a member of an elected authority, expressions are used requiring or authorizing an act or thing to be done or implying that an act or thing is to be done in the presence of an official agent, a scrutineer or a candidate, the expression is deemed to refer to the presence of those as official agents and scrutineers

(a) that are authorized to attend, and

(b) that have in fact attended at the time and place where that act or thing is being done,

and if the act or thing is otherwise properly done, the non-attendance of an official agent or a scrutineer at that time and place does not invalidate it.

As per section 54 of the Local Authorities Election Act:

(1) If a candidate or the candidate’s official agent or scrutineer objects to a person who makes a statement, a deputy shall note in the voting register the reason for the objection and the name of the candidate or official agent or scrutineer making the objection and shall initial the objection.

(1.1) A candidate, official agent or scrutineer may only make an objection under subsection (1) at the time the person makes the statement under section 53(1)(b) or (2) or 78.

(2) If a returning officer on reasonable and probable grounds believes that a person is not eligible to be an elector, the returning officer must note in the elector register the reason for the belief and initial it.

The Leduc County logo is not allowed to be used by candidates on any displays, such as advertisements, handbills, placards, posters, circulars, pamphlets, newspapers or other materials.

As per section 152 of the Local Authorities Election Act:

(1) Subject to subsection (2), a person who, at an advance vote or on election day,

(a) displays within a building used for a voting station or within the boundaries of the land on which a building used for a voting station is located, or

(b) distributes within a building used for a voting station or within the boundaries of the land on which the building used for a voting station is located,

an advertisement, handbill, placard, poster, circular, pamphlet, newspaper or other paper except those posted by the deputy in accordance with this Act is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine of not more than $500.

(2) When a voting station is located in a building containing a complex of interlocking offices, stores or other facilities, the prohibition in subsection (1) applies only to the store, office or facility comprising the area used as a voting station. 

The Local Authorities Election Act was amended in 2018 to address third-party advertising in municipal elections. Recent changes to the act came into force on Sept. 1, 2020 and made further changes to third-party advertising. A summary of the recent changes can be found in the fact sheet from Alberta Municipal Affairs.

All election signage must be removed by midnight on Oct. 21 (three days after election day). After that period, all signs will be removed by Leduc County, and costs for removal and disposal will be charged back to the candidate(s) who own the signs.

In accordance with Land Use Bylaw 7-08, you do not need a development permit for elections signs on privately-owned land [part 3.2.1(m)] and you need prior approval to place a sign on public lands [part 8.1.10].

You do not need a permit to install an election sign along a provincial highway, but must follow the below provincial guidelines:

• The maximum sign size permitted in a highway right-of-way (the existing highway limits) is 1.5 square metres (16 square feet).
• Signs must be placed no closer than two metres (6.5 feet) from the edge of pavement, or in the case of gravel roads, no closer than two metres (6.5 feet) from the shoulder of the road.
• No election signs are allowed within the median of a divided provincial highway.
• No election signs can be mounted on highway signs or sign posts.
• No election signs can be placed in or within 500 metres (1,640 feet) of construction zones.
• No election signs are allowed to obstruct a driver's view of an intersection in an urban area or within 250 metres (820 feet) of an intersection in a rural area.
• Election signs must be kept neat and clean in appearance, and the sign owner must remove damaged or vandalized signs immediately.
• The sign owner is liable for all damages, losses and expenses resulting from the installation and removal of any election signs installed or erected in breach of the Land Use Bylaw and/or provincial guidelines.

The campaign period for the 2021 municipal election begins Jan. 1 and ends Dec. 31, 2021.

A campaign expense means any expense incurred (including a non-monetary contribution received) by a candidate to the extent that the property or service is used to directly promote or oppose a candidate during a campaign period. The expense or non-monetary contribution includes:

• The production of advertising or promotional material.
• The distribution, broadcast or publication of advertising or promotional material in any media or by any other means during a campaign period, including by the use of a capital asset.
• The payment of remuneration and expenses to or on behalf of a person for the person’s services as a chief financial officer or in any other capacity.
• Securing a meeting place.
• The conduct of election surveys or other surveys or research during a campaign period.
• The production of a review engagement required by the LAEA.

A contribution means any money, personal property, real property or service that is provided to, or for, the benefit of a candidate’s election campaign without fair market value compensation from the candidate. This does not include a service provided by an individual who voluntarily performs the services and receives no compensation, directly or indirectly, in relation to the services or time spent providing the services.

The value of a contribution, other than money, provided to a candidate is the fair market value of the contribution at the time it was provided. If a non-monetary contribution is provided for a price that is less than fair market value, the amount which the value exceeds the price is considered a contribution under LAEA, Part 5.1.

Only a person ordinarily residing in Alberta can make contributions to candidates. No individual residing outside of Alberta or prohibited organization may make a contribution to a candidate. Prohibited organizations include corporations and unincorporated organizations, including trade unions and employee organizations.

No individual residing in Alberta shall contribute in any campaign period an amount that exceeds $5,000 to any candidate for election as a councillor and $5,000 to any candidate for election as a school board trustee.

A candidate may contribute up to $10,000 of the candidate’s own funds that is not reimbursed to the candidate from the candidate’s campaign account. Any amount paid by a candidate for campaign expenses from the candidate’s own funds not reimbursed, is a contribution to the candidate’s own campaign.

No candidate and no person acting on behalf of a candidate shall, directly or indirectly, solicit or accept a contribution if the candidate or person knows or ought to know that the prospective contributor is a prohibited organization or an individual residing outside Alberta.

No candidate or person acting on behalf of a candidate shall solicit or accept a contribution if the candidate or person knows or ought to know that the amount of the contribution will exceed the amounts referred to above. 

Before making a contribution, a prospective contributor is responsible for ensuring that they are not prohibited from making the contribution and are not making a contribution that is in excess of the limit prescribed by section 147.2(3).

Every candidate and every person acting on behalf of a candidate shall make every reasonable effort to advise prospective contributors of this Part relating to contributions.

A prohibited organization or a person acting on its behalf that contravenes this section is guilty of an offence and is liable to a fine of not more than $10,000.

An individual who contravenes this section is guilty of an offence and is liable to a fine of not more than $5,000.

Contributions cannot be accepted and expenses cannot be incurred unless the person has been nominated as a candidate.

A candidate cannot accept contributions except during a campaign period.

The provisions above do not apply to a person who accepts no more than $5,000 in the aggregate per year in contributions outside the campaign period, or who contributes up to $10,000 in the aggregate per year to their own campaign from their own funds.

A candidate who contravenes section 147.22(1) or (2) is guilty of an offence and is liable to a fine of not more than $1,000.

A candidate must ensure that:

• A campaign account in the name of the candidate’s election campaign or of the candidate is open at a financial institution for the purposes of the election campaign at the time of nomination or as soon as possible after contributions exceed $1,000 in total.
• If a campaign account has been opened, all contributions of money are deposited into the campaign account.
• Money in the account shall only be used for the payment of campaign expenses.
• Contributions of real property, personal property and services are valued.
• Receipts are issued for every contribution and obtained for every expense.
• Records are kept of contributions and campaign expenses and are retained by the candidate for a period of three years following the date on which disclosure statements were required to be filed.
• Proper direction is provided to the candidate’s official agent and any other person who is authorized to incur campaign expenses and to accept or solicit campaign contributions.

A candidate who contravenes section 147.3 is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine of not more than $5,000.

Every candidate or person acting on behalf of the candidate shall issue a receipt for every contribution accepted in a form acceptable to the local jurisdiction. At a minimum, receipts should include the date of the contribution, name and address of the contributor, and the amount contributed. 

Every candidate (including a candidate who withdraws) is required to file a disclosure statement (Form 26 – Campaign Disclosure Statement and Financial Statement – forms are available at Alberta.ca) with the municipality on or before March 1, 2022 (immediately following the general election).

In the case of a by-election, the disclosure statement must be filed no later than 120 days after the date of the by-election.

The disclosure statement must include the following:

• The total amount of all campaign contributions received during the campaign period that did not exceed $50 in the aggregate from any single contributor.
• The total amount contributed, together with, the contributor’s name and address, for each contributor whose contributions during the campaign period exceeded $50 in total.
• The total amount of contributions received outside of the campaign period (not exceeding contributions of $5,000 in total per year, or candidate contributions of $10,000 in the total per year).
• The total amount from fundraising functions.
• The total amount of other revenue.
• The total amount of campaign expenses.
• An itemized campaign expense report setting out the campaign expenses incurred by the candidate.
• The total amount of money paid by the candidate.
• The total amount of any surplus, including any surplus from previous campaigns.
• The amount of any deficit.

A candidate who incurs campaign expenses or receives contributions of $50,000 or more, shall file a review engagement with the disclosure statement. Review engagements are defined in the Chartered Professional Accountants Act.

A candidate who withdraws must also file a disclosure statement.

Within 30 days, a candidate must submit a supplementary statement in the prescribed form to the municipality if any of the information reported in the disclosure statement has changed or is inaccurate.

The municipality must ensure all documents filed are available to the public during regular business hours for four years after the election.

A candidate who fails to file the disclosure statement by April 1, 2022 (in the year following a general election) is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine of not more than $5,000. In the case of a by-election, the disclosure statement must be filed within 150 days after the by-election. 

On or before March 1, 2022 (120 days in the case of a by-election), if the candidate’s disclosure statement shows a surplus, the candidate, within 60 days:

(a) shall, with respect to any amount that is $1,000 or more, donate an amount to a registered charity that results in the surplus being less than $1,000, and

(b) may, with respect to any amount that is less than $1,000,

i) retain all or any portion of that amount, and

ii) donate all or any portion that amount to a registered charity.

A candidate who donates an amount to a registered charity must within 30 days after the 60-day period provided above, file an amended disclosure statement showing the surplus has been dealt with.

This applies to a candidate whether or not they are elected.

A candidate is guilty of an offence if they fail to submit the supplementary statement within 30 days and liable to a fine of not more than $5,000. 

A candidate shall not accept a contribution that exceeds $5,000 from any individual and may make a contribution from the candidate’s own funds that does not exceed $10,000 for the purpose of eliminating a deficit.

A candidate must, within 30 days after the expiration of the 60-day period, file an amended disclosure statement showing the deficit has been eliminated.

A candidate is guilty of an offence if they fail to submit the supplementary statement within 30 days and liable to a fine of not more than $5,000.

A candidate who fails to file a campaign disclosure statement within the specified time period is required to pay a $500 late filing fee to the municipality. If the fee is not paid within 30 days, the municipality must send a notice to the candidate indicating the amount of the late filing fee to be paid.

If a candidate fails to file a disclosure statement, the secretary shall transmit a report to council and upon receipt, the report must be made public. If a candidate files their disclosure statement no later than 10 days after the filing deadline, the candidate is not required to form part of the report proceeding to council.

If a candidate, who is sent a notice by the municipality, fails to pay the late filing fee, the municipality may file a notice with the Court of Queen’s Bench.

Leduc County residents are eligible to vote if they:

• are 18 years old
• are a Canadian citizen
• have resided in Alberta for the six months immediately preceding election day (Oct. 18)
• are a resident of Leduc County on election day (Oct. 18)

As per section 48 of the Local Authorities Election Act:

(1) For the purposes of this Act, the place of residence is governed by the following rules:

(a) a person may be a resident of only one place at a time for the purposes of voting under this Act;

(a.1) if a person has more than one residence in Alberta, that person shall, in accordance with subsection (1.1), designate one place of residence as the person’s place of residence for the purposes of this Act;

(b) the residence of a person is the place where the person lives and sleeps and to which, when the person is absent, the person intends to return;

(c) a person does not lose the person’s residence by leaving the person’s home for a temporary purpose;

(d) subject to clause (e), a student who

(i) attends an educational institution within or outside Alberta,

(ii) temporarily rents accommodation for the purpose of attending an educational institution, and

(iii) has family members who are resident in Alberta and with whom the student ordinarily resides when not attending an educational institution

is deemed to reside with those family members;

(e) if a person leaves the area with the intention of making the person’s residence elsewhere, the person loses the person’s residence within the area.

(1.1) For the purposes of subsection (1)(a.1), a person shall designate the person’s place of resident in accordance with the following factors in the following order of priority:

(a) the address shown on the person’s driver’s licence or motor vehicle operator’s licence issued by or on behalf of the Government of Alberta or an identification card issued by or on behalf of the Government of Alberta;

(b) the address to which the person’s income tax correspondence is addressed and delivered;

(c) the address to which the person’s mail is addressed and delivered.

(2) A person who is a resident of a public school division or of a separate school division under the Education Act is deemed to be a resident of the public school division or that separate school division, as the case may be, under this Act.

As per section 53 of the Local Authorities Election Act, voters must provide proof of identity and current residence in order to vote.

Leduc County's Voter Identification Bylaw [Bylaw 5-13] states that voters must produce, for inspection by a deputy returning officer of the voting station, the following:

• one piece of valid government-issued identification containing the voter's photograph, current address and name; OR
• two pieces from the following list:
  • Canadian military identification
  • birth certificate
  • Alberta Personal Health Card
  • baptismal certificate
  • Alberta identification card
  • Social Insurance Number card
  • certificate of Canadian citizenship
  • Royal Canadian Mounted Police identification card
  • Veteran's Affairs Canada identification card
  • Old Age Security (OAS) card
  • student identification card
  • credit/debit card
  • library card
  • hospital/medical card
  • fishing, trapping or hunting license
  • marriage certificate
  • firearms license possession - acquisition
  • firearms - possession only license
  • any other piece of identification acceptable to the deputy returning officer

If the deputy returning officer is not satisfied that the identification verifies the identity and age of the person seeking to vote, they make the final decision as to whether or not the person is allowed to vote.

A person who does not meet the requirements of section 53(1) of the Local Authorities Election Act and section 2 of this bylaw is not eligible to vote.