16 Sep, 2013

IMFG Perspectives 4: Hidden in Plain View: Local Agencies, Boards, and Commissions (ABCs) in Canada

The Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance (IMFG) has released a new paper as part of its Perspectives series, authored by Jack Lucas.

Hidden in Plain View: Local Agencies, Boards, and Commissions (ABCs) in Canada

This paper examines some of the most important but least understood parts of local government: ABCs. Everywhere we turn, from transit agencies to housing corporations, conservation authorities to police service boards, we encounter ABCs. They provide critical services, spend large sums of money, and raise serious questions about democratic accountability.

Written by Jack Lucas of the University of Toronto, IMFG’s Graduate Fellowship award recipient for 2012-13, it is the fourth paper in IMFG’s Perspectives series. Lucas highlights three key questions that can help us think about local ABCs and the governance dilemmas they pose.