Browse Our Research 

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.
Find out more »

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 »

Bringing together perspectives and case studies from across Canada, the US, and Europe, IMFG's new book Financing Infrastructure: Who Should Pay? contends that users, not taxpayers, should start paying directly for their cities’ repairs and expansions.
Find out more »

Toronto is an exceptional city at least partially because of public policies and past investments. As Toronto City Manager Peter Wallace discussed in his 2016 remarks to IMFG, Toronto faces challenges in meeting the demands of a global, international city.
Find out more »

Following pressure from some sectors of civil society, the Province of Ontario passed a law in 2016 allowing municipalities to use ranked ballots to elect mayors and councillors. This change in provincial regulation, and the dialogue and debate that led to the policy change, raise important questions about the nature of municipal electoral systems in Canada.
Find out more »

On September 14, 2017, a panel of Chief Resilience Officers from Toronto, Montreal, and New York City joined IMFG as they discussed what they have learned and looked ahead to the future.
Find out more »

Otis Rolley moderated and presented at the IMFG event "What Makes a Resilient City?", co-sponsored 100 Resilient Cities, Pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation, on Sept 14th, 2017.
Find out more »

Daniel Zarrilli, Chief Resilience Officer, New York City, presented at the IMFG event "What Makes a Resilient City?", co-sponsored 100 Resilient Cities, Pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation, on Sept 14th, 2017.
Find out more »