Blackfalds is the next community we’ve analyzed as part of our pre-election series looking at the performance of town and City councils in Central Alberta.
We took a look at Blackfalds town council’s decisions in three key areas: public services, housing, and transparency/accountability. We used a traffic light system (🟢 Green = good/pass; 🟡 Yellow = mixed/needs improvement; 🔴 Red = poor/fail).
Here are the results of our analysis:
Blackfalds Town Council Report Card
| Category | Grade | Notes |
| Public Services | 🟡 | Council has prioritized making sure service levels are maintained, including as the town grows in future. |
| Transparency & Accountability | 🟢 | Town council has taken many steps to communicate clearly and seek public input in decisions. |
| Housing & Shelter Spaces | 🟡 | While Blackfalds council has been building infrastructure, rezoning, and approving development, the lack of senior housing and shelter spaces are an ongoing concern. |
🟡 Public Services
Grade: Yellow
Although municipal taxes have increased this year, a new high school has opened in town and Blackfalds boasts several fun and unique parks and playgrounds. Council says the increase in taxes will allow the Town to maintain Blackfalds’ current service levels and support continued growth. The Town is also doubling the size of the water reservoir to meet growing everyday use and fire protection demands. Not long ago, Blackfalds also completed a social needs assessment to make the community better.
Main concerns:
- Residents have complained that water and sewer rates in Blackfalds are considerably higher than in neighboring communities.
- Some residents also feel property taxes are too high compared to neighbouring communities.
- Blackfalds On-Demand Local Transit (BOLT) can shuttle residents to various areas of the community. The main issue with the service has been limited options for traveling to neighboring communities, making it difficult for some residents, especially seniors, to access services and amenities in neighbouring communities like Red Deer and Lacombe.
👉 Verdict: Council is actively managing service growth, investing in tools and infrastructure to meet the needs of residents. Residents benefit from steady service quality. However, high costs impact how affordable it is to live in the community.
🟢Transparency & Accountability
Grade: Green
The Town of Blackfalds created the Citizen Request Portal to allow residents to send their concerns and feedback to council. Council meetings are live-streamed on the Town’s Youtube channel and are posted the following day. The Town covers budget week on their YouTube channel and recently concluded a budget survey to get feedback on their 2025 budget. Blackfalds is also now requiring criminal record checks for council candidates in the interests of the safety of residents.
Main concerns:
- Some residents felt vague language in the budget survey allowed council to claim more support than they actually got for budget decision
- Some residents allege council members are using anonymous accounts to get around code of conduct rules and criticize public feedback on social media. (However, an example cited still welcomed feedback.)
👉 Verdict: Although there are some lingering concerns about consistency and clarity in public engagement and decision-making, Blackfalds Town Council has taken proactive steps to improve accountability and openness,
🟡 Housing & Shelter
Grade: Yellow
Homes are generally lower cost in Blackfalds than in larger communities. The Town has been approving new subdivisions and rezoning some areas to allow for more high density housing. Blackfalds also saw a huge increase in building permits last year, although public buildings account for some of that. Council is also building the North West Stormwater project, which is necessary infrastructure to build both a new elementary school and new residential housing in Aurora Heights.
Main Concerns:
- The vacancy rate in Blackfalds is 0.0% according to the most recent CMHC data meaning there are no rentals available. The lack of rentals makes it harder for businesses to find workers.
- There isn’t enough senior housing in town, an issue future councils will need to address. Some in the community blame the current Mayor for the lack of substantive action on putting more seniors housing in place. The 4-unit Tower Manor seniors complex has served the community for decades, and seniors often need to leave the community to get housing.
- Blackfalds council reversed an exemption from property taxation for non-profit subsidized affordable housing. This will impact the taxes paid on 20 units in Blackfalds, which are run by the Lacombe Foundation/Bethany Group.
- Blackfalds does not have its own dedicated emergency shelter, so residents in need of shelter services must access resources in nearby communities like Red Deer and Edmonton.
👉 Verdict: While Blackfalds town council has been supporting new housing development with infrastructure and approvals as well as higher density housing, the lack of rentals and senior housing shows there is still ample room for improvement as Blackfalds starts to grow.
Blackfalds Town Council Report Card Conclusion:
Overall, Blackfalds has made some great steps towards building housing and infrastructure and maintaining strong public services in their community.
For a full list of municipal candidates running in Blackfalds, click here. Watch for our upcoming report card on the town of Three Hills.