Burlington Gazette: Analysis of Strong Mayor Powers

Toronto Star: Enid Slack on the Use of Reserve Funds in Toronto’s Proposed Budget

CBC New Brunswick: Aaron Moore on Unequal Assessment Freezes

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IMFG Events

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  • Understanding Smarter Cities: What Happens Next?

    Innis Town Hall Innis College, 2 Sussex Avenue, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    As part of IMFG’s ongoing series of publications and events, we are pleased to co-sponsor the following event, organized by the Urban Studies Program at Innis College. The intended audience […]

  • Democracy from the Bottom up: Unlocking the Potential of Community Councils

    Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, Room 108N 1 Devonshire Place, North House, Room 108N, Toronto, ON, Canada

    In a number of cities around the world, community councils give local residents the power to get directly involved in local matters facing municipal government. In Toronto, City Council will […]

  • Legacies of the Megacity: Toronto’s Amalgamation 20 Years Later

    Campbell Conference Facility Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, 1 Devonshire Place, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    In 1998, Metropolitan Toronto and its six lower tier municipalities were amalgamated to form the City of Toronto. The decision to amalgamate was controversial then, and continues to be contentious to some today. Two decades later, what can we say about the megacity merger? Did it achieve its goals? Are Torontonians better served by one large government than the previous two-tier model? Looking forward, what lies ahead for regional governance in the GTHA?

  • Mind the Funding Gap: Transit Financing in Los Angeles County and Metro Vancouver

    Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, Room 208N 1 Devonshire Place, North House, Room 208N, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Across North American cities, the demand for better public transit is pervasive, yet many local governments lack the sufficient revenue tools to finance the construction of new infrastructure. To resolve this dilemma, some localities have turned to citizens directly, proposing temporary earmarked sales tax increases as a way to finance capital-intensive projects. Why have some communities been more receptive to this funding model than others?

  • Behind the City Beat: A Pre-Election Media Panel

    Campbell Conference Facility Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, 1 Devonshire Place, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    In the lead up to Ontario’s upcoming municipal election, the Institute of Municipal Finance and Governance (IMFG) will bring together a panel of journalists who will address how they cover municipal elections; which policy issues matter most; and how they adapt and stay relevant in the changing media landscape.

  • Housing Access & Urban Governance: Lessons from Mexico’s Recent Experience

    Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, Room 208N 1 Devonshire Place, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Changes to federal housing policy in Mexico in the 1990s helped finance the largest housing boom in the country’s history. During the 2000s, millions of Mexicans acquired mortgages to buy homes in the fringes of cities throughout the country. At the same time, decentralization efforts were under way to increase the capacity of local governments to, among other things, manage urban growth. Yet, even large municipalities have been ill equipped to provide adequate infrastructure and services to the new remote housing locations that have popped up in the last two decades. Furthermore, an increasing number of Mexican households have struggled to keep up with their mortgage payments with the result that some new developments have alarmingly high housing vacancy rates, all while about a third of Mexicans live in poor housing conditions.

  • Toronto’s Future: Who’s Paying? The 7th Annual IMFG Toronto City Manager’s Address

    Campbell Conference Facility Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, 1 Devonshire Place, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Chris Murray, Toronto's new City Manager, is a former planner who thinks of the future in terms of decades, not years. In his address, Toronto's Future: Who's Paying?, he will discuss the "elephant in the room" when it comes to municipal government: what kind of city are we leaving behind for future generations?