Alberta Regulation 301/2025 constitutes the Police Funding Amendment Regulation under the Police Act. Made pursuant to section 62(1) of the Police Act, this Regulation amends the existing Police Funding Regulation (AR 7/2020) to clarify the methodology by which municipalities contribute to the costs of provincial policing services.

The core amendment of the Regulation is the replacement of Section 3, introducing a revised cost formula for determining municipal contributions. The Regulation establishes a structured formula:

Cost = (E + P + O) – (V + PD), where:

E represents the Weighted Equalized Assessment, based on municipal property assessments and adjusted by the total cost of frontline policing positions; P represents the Weighted Population Amount, calculated according to municipal population relative to total provincial population; O represents the Weighted Occurrence, reflecting the number of police calls for service; V denotes the Vacancy Subsidy, reducing costs for municipalities with higher police vacancy rates; and PD denotes the Population Density Subsidy, offering relief to municipalities with population densities below the provincial average.

The Regulation specifies annual calculations for each fiscal year from 2026–2027 through 2030–2031 and subsequent years. Gradual adjustments in the percentage allocation of the ATS (total cost of the Provincial Police Service Authority) across these years reflect incremental cost shifts from property assessment to population and occurrence metrics, thereby better aligning municipal contributions with service demand and population dynamics.

Section 4 reinforces municipalities’ fiscal obligations, requiring payment within 45 days of notification and enabling recovery of unpaid amounts as debts to the Crown. It also provides the Minister discretionary authority to fully or partially exempt municipalities or set alternative payment amounts based on local circumstances.

A new Section 4.1 mandates annual public reporting on municipal policing costs, total provincial expenditures, and any exemptions granted. The Minister may collaborate with the Provincial Police Advisory Board in preparing these reports to ensure transparency and accountability.

Alberta Regulation 301/2025 is intended to improve transparency, accountability, and fairness in provincial policing funding. By linking municipal contributions to property assessment, population, service demand, vacancy rates, and population density, the Regulation aims to equitably distribute costs while providing flexibility for unique municipal circumstances.

Alberta (301/2026) January 20, 2026
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