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Other | 2017
2020-2021 IMFG Graduate Fellowship Application Instructions
IMFG
IMFG offers two graduate fellowships in municipal finance and governance. There is one application process for both fellowships. The top two candidates will each be awarded a fellowship.
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Other | 2017
2020-2021 IMFG Post-Doctoral Fellowship Application Instructions
IMFG
The Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance (IMFG), within the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, invites applications for a one-year IMFG Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Municipal Finance and Governance. Applications must be received by no later than Thursday, March 26, 2020 at 4:00 pm.
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IMFG Paper | 2017
Re-imagining Community Councils in Canadian Local Government
Alexandra Flynn and Zachary Spicer
In 2015, Toronto City Council asked city staff to review community councils as part of the City’s ward boundary review process. Toronto’s ward boundary review realigned the city’s wards, so the City now needs to set new boundaries for community councils. Staff has been directed to report back to Council in 2017 on the “impacts to governance and structure changes to the authority, duties, and function of community councils.” Meanwhile, in November 2016, the Province of Ontario introduced measures to strengthen the use of community councils across Ontario. There is thus a unique opportunity available to re-imagine the authority and use of Toronto’s community councils.
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Presentation | 2017
The Public Acceptability of Taxation: Implications for Canadian Cities
Matthew Lesch
Aversion to taxes presents a major policy dilemma for elected governments: voters want governments to deliver goods and services but are deeply suspicious of their efforts to raise taxes.
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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.
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Video | 2017
6th Annual City Manager's Address: Video
Peter Wallace
On October 26, Peter joined IMFG to discuss how the City of Toronto can address challenges and invest in Toronto’s future. What key steps could Council and staff take? What strategic policy levers could be used? What financial and implementation capacity is needed to deliver on Council’s visions for future investments?
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Presentation | 2017
Returning to the Golden Rule of Balanced Budgets
The “golden rule” of public finance states that over an economic cycle, governments should borrow only to invest and not to fund current spending, and that the current budget must always balance or be brought into surplus. In Ontario, all municipalities are subject to legal borrowing limits, with special exceptions for Toronto and York Region.
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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?
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Search Research Archive
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