Like many municipal functions, revenue mobilization is a shared responsibility, with staff and elected leaders each playing a part.

But which part?

Especially when it comes to the overall revenue strategy and harnessing new revenue streams, we've found that there's room for role definition.

Most of the financial studies municipalities commission focus on cost control and most revenue studies are rate-setting studies.

While many observers have stated that COVID re-shone a spotlight on municipalities’ revenue weakness, we look at whether ‘not enough money’ was ever a problem Councils were willing to solve through own-source revenue.

How does the provincial design of municipal institutions play out in local communities, on Council, and to what end?

The article finds that local responses to weak design contribute to sub-optimal financial results.

This timeline of changes in local authority to generate revenue, as well as the provincial political parties from which additions and subtractions came, contextualize movements in Ontario municipalities’ actual revenue results, 1990-2020.

An historical lens on municipalities’ current budget pressures, these tables, charts and animations can help you paint a picture fit for the most digital budget on record.