A Message from Enid Slack

Alan Broadbent and I launched the Institute in 2004, because we felt that there was not enough independent research or discussion on the fiscal and governance challenges faced by cities and city-regions. We know that large cities and city-regions are important economic engines in their countries all over the world. They are significant generators of employment, wealth, and productivity growth. We also know that, to be competitive, cities need to build and maintain infrastructure, and deliver a wide range of services that will attract and retain skilled individuals and companies. To deliver these services, cities need adequate revenue sources and sound governance. Yet, so little research has been done in Canada on the finance and governance of cities.

Our objective here at IMFG is to fill that gap by providing the research and analysis that is needed to inform policy on municipal finance and governance. We want to elevate the debate by providing solid research, but also by convening stakeholders to discuss these important city issues, and encouraging graduate students to undertake research on municipal finance and governance.

To date, we have numerous publications in our full length IMFG Papers on Municipal Finance and Governance series, and our shorter Perspectives and Forum reports. Topics we have addressed include expenditure and revenue trends in cities, the fiscal health of cities, financial transparency and accountability, regional governance, intergovernmental relations, municipal borrowing and infrastructure financing, affordable housing, and transit finance. We have held several events each year which bring together stakeholders from the public sector, private sector, the non-profit sector, and academia. We have hosted visiting scholars from around the world (including the United States, Brazil, Hungary, India, and Norway) to inform us about how finance and governance issues are addressed in other places, and we offer three annual fellowships – one full-year post-doctoral position and two scholarships for graduate students working on municipal finance and governance.

We look forward to continuing our work on the finance and governance of cities, and ensuring that public policy decisions are based on solid research and analysis. All of our work is available on our website so I encourage you to use these resources.

Sincerely,

Enid Slack