Search Results for: IMFG Paper
IMFG Paper | 2017
Paying for Water in Ontario's Cities: Past, Present, and Future
Harry Kitchen
Throughout much of the 20th century, water was seen as plentiful and water rates did not promote conservation. Today, water is treated as a relatively scarce resource and governments are concerned about financing new and rehabilitated infrastructure. However, most municipalities still do not set prices for water at levels that would encourage conservation, thereby allowing the overconsumption of water, and leading to increased demand for expensive infrastructure.
Find out more »
Find out more »
IMFG Paper | 2017
Financing Urban Infrastructure in Canada: Who Should Pay?
Enid Slack and Almos T. Tassonyi
IMFG is pleased to announce the release of a new paper, excerpted from the new book Financing Infrastructure: Who Should Pay?
The poor state of municipal infrastructure is the subject of frequent complaint in Canada. Roads are congested, transit systems are in need of major investments, bridges are crumbling, and water treatment plants need to be replaced. Municipalities continue to seek financial assistance from the federal and provincial governments, but are transfers really the best way to pay for municipal capital investments?
Find out more »
Find out more »
IMFG Paper | 2017
Land Value Capture and Social Benefits: Toronto and São Paulo Compared
Abigail Friendly
This paper describes and compares land value capture (LVC) tools in São Paulo and Toronto, and uses quantitative data to determine the benefits derived from the tools and expert interviews that explore the political and historical background associated with their use.
Find out more »
Find out more »
IMFG Paper | 2017
(Re)creating Boundary Lines: Assessing Toronto's Ward Boundary Review Process
Alexandra Flynn
When Toronto's Ward Boundary Review (WBR) began in 2013, the city's 44 wards varied widely in size, ranging from 45,000 to 90,000 residents. This paper sets out the contested legal terrain within which the City of Toronto’s WBR took place and assesses possible next steps, including the grounds for a possible Ontario Municipal Board appeal.
Find out more »
Find out more »
IMFG Paper | 2017
The Evolving Role of City Managers and Chief Administrative Officers
Michael Fenn and David Siegel
The often hidden, but very important, relationship between the municipal council and the public service is a key determinant of the success of any municipality. This paper offers some suggestions for positive ways in which the CAO model can develop and warns of some clouds on the horizon that could harm the Canadian municipal government system.
Find out more »
Find out more »
IMFG Paper | 2017
Climate Change, Floods, and Municipal Risk Sharing in Canada
Daniel Henstra and Jason Thistlethwaite
With a focus on urban flooding, this paper identifies and explains ways in which governments can share climate-related risks. It then evaluates whether and how these tools have been used in Calgary, Alberta, and Toronto, Ontario.
Find out more »
Find out more »
IMFG Paper | 2016
Financing the Golden Age: Municipal Finance in Toronto, 1950 to 1975
Richard White
Toronto is known for having been a prosperous and successful city in the decades after the Second World War, and the postwar period has come to be seen as something of a Golden Age for the city. What role did Toronto’s postwar municipal finances play in making the city the success that it was?
Find out more »
Find out more »
IMFG Paper | 2016
Did the Land Transfer Tax Impact Housing Sales in Toronto?
Murtaza Haider, Amar Anwar, and Cynthia Holmes
The City of Toronto implemented a land transfer tax on real estate transactions in February 2008. This study explores the impact of the tax on housing sales in the City of Toronto and the rest of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
Find out more »
Find out more »
Search Research Archive
Globe and Mail: Sean Grisdale on the “Squandering” of Public Land Sales
June 7, 2024
CBC Online: Almos Tassonyi on Brampton’s Strategic Reserve Fund
June 4, 2024
Municipal World: Enid Slack on Municipal Finance
March 5, 2024