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IMFG
@imfgtoronto.bsky.social
The Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance (IMFG) focuses on the finance and governance issues faced by cities and city-regions in Canada and internationally. Located in the School of Cities at the University of Toronto. www.imfg.org
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New IMFG report evaluates the fiscal impact of real estate development on municipalities, by examining the relationship between municipal growth and property taxation in Québec.
bit.ly/FiscalGains
Still time to register for this afternoon's livestream of IMFG's 13th Annual Toronto City Manager's Address!

Paul Johnson will speak on "Feeding Focus and Starving Distraction: Focusing on Priorities to Deliver on Torontonians' Investment."

www.eventbrite.ca/e/livestream...
November 18, 2025 at 3:10 PM
In-person event: Maintaining and Renewing the Social Housing Stock: Canada in Comparison.

On Dec. 8, Dr. Collin Bernard will draw on international cases to examine how different systems govern and fund the maintenance and renovation of their social housing stock.

www.eventbrite.ca/e/maintainin...
November 17, 2025 at 5:19 PM
The 13th Annual Toronto City Manager's Address is now sold out! However, our live stream registration is open.

www.eventbrite.ca/e/livestream...

Tuesday, November 18 at 4:30 pm.
November 10, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Join us for our 13th Annual Toronto City Manager's Address as
Paul Johnson speaks on "Feeding Focus and Starving Distraction: Focusing on Priorities to Deliver on Torontonians' Investment."

Nov. 18 at 4:30 at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.

www.eventbrite.ca/e/13th-annua...
October 27, 2025 at 6:35 PM
1/ Property taxes are well suited to finance municipal infrastructure and services. But does the dependency on property taxes force municipalities to encourage real estate development as a way to improve their financial situation without having to raise taxes? bit.ly/FiscalGains
October 22, 2025 at 7:10 PM
New IMFG report evaluates the fiscal impact of real estate development on municipalities, by examining the relationship between municipal growth and property taxation in Québec.
bit.ly/FiscalGains
October 22, 2025 at 2:58 PM
“There are a lot of things that are new to municipalities that they weren’t doing 100 years ago that are putting a lot of pressure on their expenditures, but there aren’t any new revenue sources to pay for them,” said Enid Slack.

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
The big headache for Calgary’s next council: How to pay for a growing city when everyone’s strapped | CBC News
It’s a problem as old as time for Canadian municipalities: how do you pay the bills when no one wants to pay more?
www.cbc.ca
October 21, 2025 at 1:54 PM
“When we've frozen property taxes year after year, the infrastructure starts deteriorating.”

IMFG Director Enid Slack discusses the impact of freezing property taxes with CBC Calgary as some municipal council candidates in Alberta vow to not to raise them.

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Some Alberta civic election candidates are vowing a tax freeze. Is it a good idea? | CBC News
Municipal candidates across Alberta are vowing to freeze property taxes. But putting a municipality’s main source of revenue on ice doesn’t translate well to the reality of running a city or town, sev...
www.cbc.ca
October 20, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Reposted by IMFG
Dusting off this all-star paper 'A New Agenda for Local Democracy: Building Just, Inclusive,
and Participatory Cities' via Brittany Andrew-Amofah, Alexandra Flynn, & Patricia Wood

h/t @uoftcities.bsky.social & @imfgtoronto.bsky.social

Cc: @progresstoronto.bsky.social

imfg.org/research/doc...
September 29, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Join us for an in-person seminar on November 4 on Municipal Finance in Germany – Caught Between Investment Needs and Transformation Pressures, featuring Dr. Henrik Scheller.

www.eventbrite.ca/e/municipal-...
October 7, 2025 at 7:25 PM
IMFG Director Enid Slack was interviewed by CBC Edmonton about the mismatch between growing municipal responsibilities and stagnant revenue sources.

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Duties and division of powers: Which governments do what as Edmonton votes for new city council | CBC News
CBC Edmonton hit the streets to see how informed people are when it comes to understanding the different levels of government and their responsibilities.
www.cbc.ca
October 6, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Latest IMFG report examines how municipalities can use innovative eco-fiscal tools, such as taxes, fees, and charges, to influence behaviour to help fight climate change.

bit.ly/4mHizah

@fannyrose.bsky.social

@enap-qc.bsky.social
September 17, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Don't want to miss our upcoming City Manager's Address or our latest paper?

Keep up with the latest in IMFG's papers, events, and updates by subscribing to our mailing list here.

imfg.us1.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=...
September 9, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Former IMFG Post-Doctoral Fellow Julie Mah’s study on Toronto landlords’ behaviour around evictions was profiled in the Toronto Star.
She examined about 230,000 eviction applications in Toronto from 2010 to 2019 across purpose-built rental apartments with 20+ units.

www.thestar.com/real-estate/...
Canada’s largest private landlord often dramatically increases eviction applications after acquiring buildings, study finds
Starlight Investments filed 15 eviction applications per 100 units each year, while chain owned and managed properties filed seven applications per 100 units, a recent study found.
www.thestar.com
September 8, 2025 at 2:56 PM
New IMFG report examines how municipalities can use innovative eco-fiscal tools, such as taxes, fees, and charges, to influence behaviour to help fight climate change. 1/4

bit.ly/4mHizah

@fannyrose.bsky.social @enap-qc.bsky.social
September 3, 2025 at 6:17 PM
IMFG Director Enid Slack was interviewed by The Economist to discuss what local autonomy New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has in terms of the city budget.

www.economist.com/united-state...
Zohran Mamdani is promising lots of things he can’t actually do
A few reasons to be relaxed about the plans of the Democratic front-runner to be New York’s mayor
www.economist.com
September 2, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Reposted by IMFG
I keep coming back to this amazing piece, 'A New Agenda for Local Democracy: Building Just, Inclusive, and Participatory Cities' via @imfgtoronto.bsky.social @uoftcities.bsky.social
It's still an amazing blueprint by Andrew-Amofah, Flynn
and Wood #TOpoli
utoronto.scholaris.ca/items/a944de...
A New Agenda for Local Democracy: Building Just, Inclusive, and Participatory Cities
There is a crisis of growing inequality in Canadian cities. As COVID-19 spread through Canadian cities beginning in spring 2020, racial inequities became apparent, including biased enforcement of byla...
utoronto.scholaris.ca
July 20, 2025 at 2:39 PM
"As economist Harry Kitchen and IMFG colleagues have explained: when one property pays too little tax, others must overpay to make up the difference. A general reassessment helps ensure everyone pays their fair share."

renxhomes.ca/why-ontario-...?

Alt text: Aerial view of homes and buildings
Why Ontario taxpayers should want a property value reassessment
GUEST SUBMISSION: If you pay property tax in Ontario, you have likely heard about the ongoing delay of the province-wide general reassessment. You may think that you are benefiting from this delay, bu...
renxhomes.ca
July 30, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Strong mayor powers coming to Nova Scotia? IMFG Fellow Zack Taylor spoke to Halifax’s The Chronicle Herald on the use of strong mayor powers in Ontario.

www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/...
Ontario councillor’s advice to Halifax: In the wrong hands, strong mayor powers ‘can be extremely detrimental’
Ontario experts weigh in on experiences with strong mayor power and give advice to Nova Scotians
www.saltwire.com
July 24, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Reposted by IMFG
"It’s the beginning of the end of the industrial waterfront in Toronto," Dr. Eidelman said. "It’s the beginning of a completely new idea of what the Port Lands can be." - @alexbozikovic.bsky.social

h/t
@imfgtoronto.bsky.social@uoftcities.bsky.social
www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...
After 18 years of work, Toronto’s Port Lands opens to the public
Now known as Biidaasige Park, the project is part of $1.5-billion effort to renew the area’s ecological and Indigenous past
www.theglobeandmail.com
July 18, 2025 at 2:51 PM
IMFG Fellow Alexandra Flynn argues that municipalities aren’t just service providers: they have the tools and authority to realize housing rights.

Human Rights Cities: Realizing the Right to Housing at the Municipal Scale - bit.ly/44hOYO5
July 15, 2025 at 7:24 PM
IMFG Fellow Aaron Moore comments in the Winnipeg Free Press about changes to the city’s transit system.

www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/202...
Graham Avenue transit shift leaves businesses wary of seasonal foot traffic
Downtown businesses reliant on bus-takers have watched sales plummet immediately following a Graham Avenue transitway overhaul
www.winnipegfreepress.com
July 14, 2025 at 4:21 PM
The Pointer refers to IMFG's 2022 report The Municipal Role in Climate Policy as Peel Region releases its progress report on its Climate Change Master Plan.

thepointer.com/article/2025...
During a week when climate change felt closer than ever, Peel councillors learned they’re getting further away from stopping it
During a week when climate change felt closer than ever, Peel councillors learned they’re getting further away from stopping it
thepointer.com
July 8, 2025 at 2:24 PM
IMFG Director Enid Slack was on the podcast Century of Cities. Listen as she talks about the fiscal future of Canadian cities.

www.thecenturyofcities.com/podcast-epis...
July 3, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Watch as the CAOs of York, Peel, and Durham regions discuss how they are navigating the impact of tariffs, the influx of refugees and asylum seekers, and the nexus between development charges and housing affordability.

imfg.org/research/doc...
June 26, 2025 at 7:09 PM