Search Results for: IMFG Paper
IMFG Paper | 2013
Decentralization and Infrastructure in Developing Countries
Roy Bahl and Richard M. Bird
The paper first sets out the theory of expenditure assignment with respect to decentralizing infrastructure expenditure, and then considers how practice around the developing world appears to differ from what that theory appears to suggest.
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IMFG Paper | 2013
Public Finance in Montréal: In Search of Equity and Efficiency
Jean-Philippe Meloche and François Vaillancourt
Following the 2002 amalgamation, half Montréal’s pre-amalgamation suburbs de-merged in 2006, leading to the creation of a smaller megacity with 19 decentralized boroughs. This paper identifies factors that affect the capacity of Montréal’s boroughs to fulfil their responsibilities.
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IMFG Paper | 2013
Merging Municipalities: Is Bigger Better?
Enid Slack and Richard M. Bird
This paper reviews different ways in which the formal governance of metropolitan areas may be restructured, such as through two-tier structures, voluntary cooperation, special districts, and municipal mergers. It includes a case study of the amalgamation in Toronto.
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IMFG Paper | 2013
Trading Density for Benefits: Toronto and Vancouver Compared
Aaron A. Moore
This paper describes and evaluates density for benefit agreements (DBAs) in Toronto and Vancouver. DBAs allow municipalities to secure cash contributions or amenities from developers in return for allowing developers to exceed currently prevailing height and density restrictions.
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IMFG Paper | 2012
Economies of Scale in Fire and Police Services in Ontario
Adam Found
This paper analyzes economies of scale for two municipal services by considering how per-household municipal costs are affected by a municipality’s size. An econometric model is used to estimate costs associated with fire and police services using data for 445 municipalities in the Province of Ontario.
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IMFG Paper | 2012
Hungary: An Unfinished Decentralization?
Izabella Barati-Stec
This paper examines the system of municipal finance in Hungary with special attention to the current changes in the regulation and finance of Hungarian municipalities and the change in central control over municipal finances in general after 2008, and suggests possible reforms.
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IMFG Paper | 2012
The Reform of Business Property Tax in Ontario
Michael Smart
Business property taxes in Ontario have fallen dramatically in the past decade, due to a series of reforms mandated by the provincial government. This paper discusses the likely impacts of the reforms on business location, wages, and land values, and the economic welfare of provincial residents.
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IMFG Paper | 2012
IMFG Graduate Student Papers
Mia Baumeister; Cayley Burgess
Baumeister’s paper suggests policy changes for using the development charge as a planning tool. Burgess reviews the risks to Canadian municipal finance from extreme weather and analyzes the financial tools that cities can use to prepare for extreme weather events.
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Search Research Archive
Toronto Star: 13th Annual Toronto City Manager’s Address
November 25, 2025
Global Radio: Enid Slack on the Challenges Facing Municipalities
October 21, 2025
CBC Calgary: Enid Slack on How Canadian Municipalities Face Similar Fiscal Strains
October 18, 2025
