Tools & Resources

The following research and reports repository contains both academic and observational research that touches on a wide spectrum of topics and approaches to provide perspectives on local governments and public policy across Ontario, Canada and the world.

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Explore our topic-specific guides and previously recorded webinars. These resources are intended to provide informative legislative and policy overviews and recommendations based on sector best practices.

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This resource provides a comprehensive overview of what clerks in Ontario are required to do under various statutes, along with identifying the circumstances where other governments or organizations are required to provide clerks with information. Developed in response to member requests and validated with input from clerks, this guide aims to help clerks’ departments understand their statutory obligations.

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This resource provides a comprehensive overview of what treasurers in Ontario are required to do under various statutes, along with identifying the circumstances where other governments or organizations are required to provide treasurers with information. Developed in response to member requests and validated with input from treasurers, this guide aims to help finance departments understand their statutory obligations. 

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As the largest voluntary municipal association in Ontario, it is our position that local governments are the most transparent order of government with openness at the core of their operations as the level of government closest to the people. We believe that through modernized legislation, municipalities continuously improve on transparency and accountability. With this in mind, we are proud to provide members with the following advocacy toolkit that includes our submission on MFIPPA modernization, an Issue at Glance briefing note, template council resolution, and more.

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We need your help in getting the Ford Government’s attention on an important advocacy issue. Access our MEA modernization toolkit below to support our call for critical updates to this legislation. The toolkit includes our submission and recommendations for updates that are needed by Spring 2025. You'll also find social media assets to help us in spreading the word, a template council resolution, our 2022 post-election report, and more.

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We are excited to present an all-new resource for members: our strong mayor powers toolkit with the first iteration of key findings from primary research conducted among our members and chief administrative officers across the province.

With the help of municipal staff across strong mayor municipalities, we were able to monitor and assess how mayors, and municipalities, have used and implemented strong mayor powers, and its effect on municipal staff and communities. Thanks to a 74% response rate, further supported by publicly available information, we were able to identify key findings in strong mayor legislation interpretation, approach and practices, particularly with respect to impacts to municipal senior leaders and staff.

Our strong mayor powers toolkit and authorities scan:

• Provides members with information to compare strong mayor power use and practice across the province
• Allows us to better understand the impacts to municipal governance, structures and staff and continue to support municipalities that are transitioning or may be added to strong mayor systems
• Invites discussion and continued conversation toward developing better legislative solutions that meet government objectives

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As an Association, we always look forward to celebrating Local Government Week during the third week of October each year. Local Government Week is an opportunity to highlight our members' successes and the hard work that all local government professionals do to serve their communities.  Access our #LocalGovWeek toolkit below for social media assets you can use in your municipalities to raise awareness of the important role local governments play in our daily lives, for one-pagers on ways to celebrate and promote public engagement, for a template council resolution, and more.

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This toolkit outlines our key priorities from the 2025 provincial election, advocating for legislative and policy changes that support strong, effective municipal governance.

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