Pipestone Flyer
Thorsby, Alberta: At a Special Meeting of Council on March 18, 2014, the Village of Thorsby approved a motion to request the Minister of Municipal Affairs to conduct a Municipal Inspection.
Under Section 571(1)(b) of Municipal Government Act, an inspection may be requested by the council of the municipality. While a resident petition is underway to request a Municipal Inspection, Council wants to publicly support and expedite the approval process. A petition needs to be determined as being sufficient in order for it to be considered by the Minister of Municipal Affairs. However, a Council request does not have the same requirement.
“A municipal inspection is about accountability and transparency to residents,” said Mayor Barry Rasch. “Council believes a formal motion requesting the inspection will encourage the Minister of Municipal Affairs to complete a detailed review of the municipality’s operations.”
Typically, a Municipal Inspection will evaluate the following:
• Working relationship between Council, Public, and CAO.
• Administration operations
• Inter-municipal relations
• Financial statuses
• Human resources practices
• Bylaws and policies reviews
The Government of Alberta completed six municipal inspections in 2013. “Inspections happen throughout Alberta,” said CAO Jason Gariepy. “It is healthy for an organization to have an external review, identify areas for improvement, and work hard to implement the recommendations provided by the Minister of Municipal Affairs. Administratively, I welcome the inspection review process.”