Month: October 2018

IMFG Fellow Alexandra Flynn discussed the importance of governments considering Indigenous treaties when crafting legislation which affects their communities in an article featured in the National Post. 

IMFG Director Enid Slack presented a lecture entitled, “Global Municipal Finance,” to the students of the Arup Masters Program, part of the Boston University Initiative on Cities and the Questrom School of Business in Boston, Massachusetts.

IMFG Fellow Zack Taylor commented on John Tory’s campaign messaging and its resonance with Toronto voters in the October 22, 2018, municipal election for the Toronto Star piece called, “John Tory unified Toronto – and he can thank Doug Ford for that, experts say.”

In the Toronto Star article, “Stronger community councils can help to get the diverse voices Toronto needs,” IMFG Fellow Alexandra Flynn and former IMFG Visiting Researcher Zachary Spicer’s IMFG Paper (No. 36), Re-imagining Community Councils in Canadian Local Government, was mentioned including its recommendations to allow residents to serve on local councils.

IMFG hosted a seminar for the Toronto Urban Fellows entitled, “Learning Series Session: Fiscal Environment for Cities,” at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.

In the CBC News article, “Diverse Winnipeg city council gives children role models: community leader”, IMFG Fellow Aaron Moore discussed how city councils with diverse members will not necessary change how councils operate but can provide a voice for underrepresented groups.

For the CBC News article entitled, “Was the ranked ballot system the reason for the low voter turnout in London?”, IMFG Fellow Zack Taylor commented on the voting turnout for London, Ontario’s, municipal election.

IMFG Director Enid Slack was featured on CityNews, discussing how local government should depend on their own revenue sources to shape city services, rather than seeking potentially unstable funding from the Province.

IMFG Director Enid Slack discussed the changing role of municipalities for The Globe and Mail piece entitled, “City elections are about the small stuff – and the big stuff, too.” Dr. Slack was also featured in a Toronto Star article, “Unreleased City of Toronto draft reports urged council to stop risky ‘underinvestment’ in housing, transit,” looking […]

IMFG Director Enid Slack presented on “The Role of Property Tax in Local Government” and “Trends in Property Taxation in Canada” at the International Property Tax Institute (IPTI) Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) event, Understanding Assessment and Property Tax Policy, in Pickering, Ontario.