Ahead of the 2026 Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Conference (August 16–20, Ottawa), we are proud to release a resource to increase awareness and support for our Association's advocacy issues that can be used by members and councillors heading into their own delegation meetings with ministries and political parties.
Supporting Municipal Voices
We have heard from members that many municipalities — particularly smaller ones — are focused on tracking local issues to prepare their delegation materials throughout the year and don’t always have the capacity to prepare materials to support larger, sector-wide issues.
The following resource intends to close that gap by providing members with an overview of our Association's advocacy priorities that focus on sector-wide support for municipal staff operations. Members can include this resource in their municipality’s delegation packages at the upcoming AMO Conference, in other related delegations or council meetings.
This resource provides an easy way to help raise important sector-wide issues using the same priorities, key messages, recommendations and requests that AMCTO is advancing directly with government decision-makers.
AMCTO 2026 Advocacy Priorities
This year's resource focuses on two priority issues:
- Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) Modernization
Recent amendments under Bill 97 made initial changes to MFIPPA but did not amount to comprehensive modernization of the legislation. We're calling on government to extend the compliance timeline for the new requirements when the legislature returns this fall, and to commit to a full review and update of the Act.
- Municipal Elections Act (MEA) Review
We are working with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing toward a 2027 review of the MEA, including related amendments to the Education Act and Assessment Act. We're asking government to confirm and maintain this timeline, with a process that allows for meaningful municipal input well ahead of the next municipal elections.
What’s Included
The resource provides a concise, one-page overview for each issue, including:
- Our advocacy position and requested action
- Key messages for use during delegation meetings
- Links to relevant AMCTO submissions and background materials
The materials are designed to be adaptable, allowing members and elected officials to raise our Association's recommendations in their own voice, while reinforcing a consistent sector-wide message to provincial decision-makers.
We will continue to advocate on these issues directly through our own delegations at the AMO Conference and will follow up with members on any commitments made.
For more information or questions about this research, contact us.