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Articles 1 - 10 of 10
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Indigenous-Municipal Intergovernmental Agreements: A Case Study Examining Substantive Collaboration, Gwendolyn Lowrie-Dennis
Indigenous-Municipal Intergovernmental Agreements: A Case Study Examining Substantive Collaboration, Gwendolyn Lowrie-Dennis
MPA Major Research Papers
Indigenous-municipal intergovernmental collaboration has been increasing across Canada. Some suggest it can act as either a tool to create empowering policy or as an instrument of authoritative control. This paper examines the case study of the Upper Ottawa Valley Medical Recruitment Committee and classifies its intergovernmental agreement as either symbolic or substantive. It does so by analyzing the frequency of communication, the decision-making processes used, the implementation of the agreement, and its outcomes. The findings suggest that the Committee achieved substantive results on all measures, but not without facing significant logistical and social barriers. Intergovernmental collaboration was ultimately beneficial in …
The Future Of Caos In Small Ontario Municipalities: A Study Of What Small Ontario Municipalities Are Doingto Recruit And Retain ‘Top Talent’, Michael Szarka
The Future Of Caos In Small Ontario Municipalities: A Study Of What Small Ontario Municipalities Are Doingto Recruit And Retain ‘Top Talent’, Michael Szarka
MPA Major Research Papers
Many Chief Administrative Officers will retire in the coming years, posing a succession problem for municipalities. The problem is especially acute in small and Northern municipalities. Municipalities must develop talent recruitment and retention strategies. Analysis of two case studies indicates that strong council support for succession planning is required, and municipal organizations should invest in their staff so that they can ascend to leadership positions, including promoting professional networking opportunities.
The Socioeconomic Implications Of Ontario's Joint And Several Liability Arrangement: Insights From Municipal Political Elites In Perth County, Josh Brick
MPA Major Research Papers
This research report examines the extent to which senior municipal staff in Perth County consider the economic and social implications of joint and several liability. Data for the report is drawn from semi-structured interviews with Chief Administrative Officers or senior staff in the Municipality of North Perth, the Municipality of West Perth, the Township of Perth East, the Township of Perth South, and the County of Perth. The interviews reveal that staff consider both the economic and social implications of the current legislative framework, however economic implications are given greater weight.
Enumeration Of The Homeless Population In Rural Communities, Barbara Hall
Enumeration Of The Homeless Population In Rural Communities, Barbara Hall
MPA Major Research Papers
Ontario Service Manager areas are now mandated by the province of Ontario to enumerate the homeless population under their jurisdiction. The rural homeless have unique characteristics that must be incorporated into the enumeration methodology. Case study analysis suggests that period prevalence and registry week methods are better suited to rural areas than a point-in-time count.
Pluralism In Regional Health Planning: An Analysis Of Public Engagement In Ontario’S Local Health Integration Networks, Paul Sandor
MPA Major Research Papers
This study identifies and explains variation in the choices of public engagement methods across Ontario’s Local Health Integration Networks, in order to inform the policy space these organizations operate in with respect to enabling citizen participation in regional health planning decisions. The websites of all 14 Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) were searched for three key documents that detail their past and future public engagement method choices. Drawing from the literature, a multi-metric qualitative scoring framework was designed to explore patterns of variation in public engagement method choices across each region. The findings demonstrate that there is minimal variation in …
The Applicability Of British Columbia's Regional Districts As A Model Of Regional Governance For Newfoundland And Labrador, Jennifer Crowe
The Applicability Of British Columbia's Regional Districts As A Model Of Regional Governance For Newfoundland And Labrador, Jennifer Crowe
MPA Major Research Papers
Adequate service delivery, equitable representation, and efficient financing have been at the forefront of local government issues in Newfoundland and Labrador since before confederation. Regional governance is a means to achieve more efficient service provision, better representation of rural interests, and a stronger financing model. This paper asks to what extent can the British Columbia Regional District model be applied to the Newfoundland and Labrador context. The paper first provides the reader with an understanding of the regional governance issues currently faced within Newfoundland and Labrador before delving into an analysis of the origins, history, and evolution of the Regional …
Waterright: An Examination Of Drinking Water, Tax Policy, And Water Affordability In Southwestern Ontario, Robert Sharon
Waterright: An Examination Of Drinking Water, Tax Policy, And Water Affordability In Southwestern Ontario, Robert Sharon
MPA Major Research Papers
There is an extensive regulatory framework embodying the operational supply of drinking water in Ontario, including the need for all municipalities to provide a self-sustaining financial plan for their system. This has resulted in the price of water in Ontario significantly outpacing the Consumer Price Index and general property taxation rates. This cost increase is impacting Ontario residents, causing poorer residents to pay a larger percentage of their disposable income on water required for basic human needs.While provincial regulation is thorough from a quality assurance approach, it is silent on the matter of ensuring residential water affordability. Municipalities can improve …
The Rural Effect On School Closures And The Limitations Within The Provincial Policy Framework, Shannon Geraghty
The Rural Effect On School Closures And The Limitations Within The Provincial Policy Framework, Shannon Geraghty
MPA Major Research Papers
As costs rise, the Ministry of Education and school boards have cut costs by closing schools. The social fabric and economic growth of rural areas are negatively affected by school closures. On the basis of an examination of recent school closure processes in the Upper Canada District School Board in eastern Ontario, this paper recommends explicit incorporation of economic impacts in closure studies, reform to the distribution of provincial education funding, and greater public engagement.
Does The Province Have Enough Financial And Statistical Data Available To Execute A Needs-Based Grant Allocation To Target Municipal Infrastructure Investment Instead Of Utilizing An Application Process To Allocate Funds?, Brenda Garrett
MPA Major Research Papers
Municipalities across the Province are grappling with infrastructure deficits. Small, northern, and rural municipality’s tax assessment base limits its ability to garner sufficient revenue to support operations as well as renew and replace infrastructure. Federal and Provincial governments must step in and assist. As a result, the province introduced the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) as a permanent program to fund critical infrastructure projects for core assets—roads, bridges, water and wastewater. This paper analyzes provincially mandated municipal Financial Information Returns (FIRs) in conjunction with OCIF statistics to assess whether the Province can efficiently and effectively re-distribute revenue using existing financial …
Measuring The Fiscal Impact Of At-Large Versus Ward-Based Political Representation In Ontario Municipalities, Alysha Faria
Measuring The Fiscal Impact Of At-Large Versus Ward-Based Political Representation In Ontario Municipalities, Alysha Faria
MPA Major Research Papers
This research report analyzes whether Ontario municipalities with ward-based electoral systems spend more per capita than those with at-large elections. American literature suggests that ward-based municipalities spend more because of log-rolling and politicians' greater responsiveness to neighbourhood electorates. The analysis considerd per-capita expenditures for all Ontario municipalities in the year 2011. Operating and capital expenditures were analyzed separately, as were lower-tier, single-tier, and upper-tier municipalities. Contrary to expectations, ward municipalities spend less per capita than at-large ones on average, however the difference between the two groups was not found to be statistically significant when controlling for municipality type, municipal population …