Municipalities

Yes! The Alberta Ombudsman can review the final administrative decisions made by a municipality. Before you make a complaint to us, we want to make sure you’ve tried to resolve your complaint directly with the people involved. Here’s the information for you and some tips on how to make your complaint.

While the Ombudsman can investigate matters of administration, decisions made by Subdivision and Development Appeal Boards (SDABs) and Assessment Review Boards (ARBs) fall outside the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction. Political decisions of elected officials are also non-jurisdictional.

How to Complain to a Municipality

Start by contacting the relevant department for information, such as 311, planning and development, public works, or other applicable office.

To escalate your concerns, you may wish to write to the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of the municipality and request a written response. Depending on the municipality, they may also be referred to as the City Manager, Town Manager, or Administrator.

Learn about our office’s role in handling municipal complaints on our Municipalities page.

By visiting Alberta Municipal Government you can learn more about municipal elections, finance, property assessment and more.

Already have a final decision or response?

If you have tried to escalate your concerns or complete this organization’s complaint process and want to make a formal complaint to us, you can make a complaint to our office by writing to us:
Make a Complaint

Not Sure? Contact Us!

Please contact us directly if you’re still not sure what your next steps are.

Need Assistance?

Do you need advocacy, support or legal advice? Click here for a list of links to organizations which may be able to help.

These links are provided for your information and convenience. The Alberta Ombudsman’s office does not assume any responsibility for the content of external websites.