Finance Posts

Burlington mayor sees positives in tariff fight, but a long road ahead

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For months, municipal officials have visited the U.S. to discuss the impact – on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border – of President Trump’s proposed ...

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Canadian municipalities continue leading the tariff fight

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Local government leaders from across the country have heeded the call and made themselves part of the Canadian response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s ongoing ...

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Brampton helping lead charge in Team Canada tariff battle

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Municipal officials from across Canada have been stepping up for months in light of the tariff threats of U.S. President Donald Trump. Mayors and council ...

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FCM, local governments continue Trump tariff fight

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U.S. President Donald Trump imposed his long-threatened 25 per cent tariff on Canadians goods on March 4. Trump’s order, looming since his January inauguration, has ...

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B.C. property values largely flat, Alberta sees fluctuations

The 2025 assessments for properties in British Columbia, which reflect market value as of July 1, 2024, were announced for property owners of more than ...

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GTA councillors launch online campaign to fight Trump tariff threat

Canadian municipalities drive the national economy, much the same way their American counterparts do. And when something impacts communities in Canada, it will impact their ...

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National in scope, local in presence: How GPOs support local

Supporting small businesses to keep taxpayer dollars within local communities is a priority for many public sector agencies. But how can they balance the need ...

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Public safety starts with smart procurement

Ensuring the safety of our communities at large-scale events, whether concerts, sporting events, or community gatherings is a top priority for municipalities and public services. ...

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Myth or fact: Job Order Contracting Edition

As a relatively new-to-Canada procurement method, Job Order Contracting (JOC) can be a confusing process to the uninitiated. JOC is a project delivery method allowing ...

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SUMA calls for more funding ahead of Saskatchewan election

The Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) is calling on future provincial governments to increase and create new revenue streams for urban municipalities ahead of the ...

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UBCM releases annual report ahead of 2024 convention  

The Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) has released it’s 2024 annual report highlighting the association’s work over the 2023-2024 fiscal year. The report comes a ...

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Consolidation is key in the supply chain world

The world of supply chain is filled with acronyms. MRO stands for Maintenance, Repair, and Operations, or as I like to call it – Miscellaneous ...

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Innovative contracting quickly solves problems

Public teams are continually challenged with new technologies, emergencies, tight budgets, and diminishing human resources. On the other side of the procurement table, evolving spending ...

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Report finds Vancouver, Toronto housing “impossibly unaffordable”

A recently released report on housing affordability has found Vancouver is the least affordable place to have/own a home in Canada and the third least ...

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Public sector sole-source dilemma revisited

In 2011, I wrote an article entitled “The public sector sole-source dilemma,” which was published in purchasing B2B as well as Caveat Emptor. In some ...

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It’s not just about housing. We need innovations in municipal finance

Canada needs more housing, but to get there, we need the infrastructure – water lines, streets, sewers, storm drains and all the other essential municipal ...

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Municipal funding, homelessness, emergency preparedness top FCM discussions

The annual conference of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) wrapped up last week, bringing together more than 3,100 attendees and delegates from over 2,000 ...

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Empowering local governments through planning, procurement solutions

In an era where efficiency and cost-effectiveness are paramount, local governments across North America are increasingly turning to innovative solutions to manage their planning and ...

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Procurement as a service and the concept of group purchasing

Procurement as a service is an outsourced model that often combines technology, outside staff, and expertise to handle a portion – if not all – of your organization's ...

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Feds promise money to address homelessness, toxic drugs

The federal government has proposed to allocate new funds to tackle the growing challenges of homelessness and drug overdose through the 2024 budget. Deputy Prime ...

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Reactions vary to Budget 2024 announcement

The federal government focused on housing and affordability in its release of Budget 2024: Fairness for every generation. These focal points drew a good deal ...

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Ontario municipalities respond to 2024 provincial budget

Ontario municipalities got a lot of what they were looking for in the recently released provincial budget. But while there was much to like, organizations ...

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Procurement evolves with changing times

For provinces, municipalities, and educational institutions, the traditional procurement process has been around since the beginning of government authority. Essential supplies, services, and construction have ...

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FCM’s fiscal relief could build homes, reduce political stress

He may have been half-joking when he said it, but Scott Pearce was also making a point when he told a group of journalists that ...

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Small towns are feeling the cost of Canada’s housing crisis

Much of the news around Canada’s affordable housing shortage tends to centre around big cities like Toronto and Vancouver. But increasingly, small communities across the ...

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Housing the top issue for municipalities in fall economic statement

Billions of dollars in new spending on housing is the top item of interest for municipal leaders coming out of the federal government’s Fall Economic ...

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FCM’s Big City Mayors calls for new framework for raising municipal revenue

Mayors of Canada’s largest cities are calling on other orders of government to do more to help municipalities pay for the services they provide. At ...

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Affordable housing, need for new fiscal model dominate FCM meeting

Two intersecting issues dominated this past weekend’s Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) annual conference: the need for a new fiscal framework, and affordable housing and ...

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Big city mayors seek new fiscal deal with Ottawa, provinces

The mayors of Canada’s largest cities are seeking a new, modernized fiscal arrangement with the federal government and their respective provincial governments. Fiscal reform topped ...

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Budgets must drive community well-being

People can be accused of making things too simplistic. Sometimes people say “there is more to it than that” or “you just don’t know everything ...

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What COVID-19 teaches us about municipal responsibilities and how to pay for them

COVID-19 has highlighted just how much municipalities are on the front lines when it comes to delivering services. They have enforced physical distancing measures, made ...

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Urgent municipal needs remain for safe restart

Municipal push-back on “Canadian constitutional square dance,” as municipalities press bottom-line requirements for safe-restart funds As federal, provincial, and territorial governments negotiate “safe economic restart” ...

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Preparing for the journey to recovery

The pandemic is having profound impacts on every community, with municipalities facing an unprecedented financial crisis that could last for years. As a result, there ...

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Municipalities asking Ottawa for billions in emergency funding

With communities across the country facing the possibility of austerity measures, further layoffs, and potential tax increases, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) is calling ...

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Municipal finance leaders look to navigate uncertain times

As Julie Stevens, president of the Municipal Finance Officers’ Association of Ontario (MFOA), stated repeatedly throughout the organization’s annual conference and AGM, uncertainty is common ...

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Plan the work, then work the plan

Following municipal elections, new councils are soon after off and running, starting on their new term of office. After the inaugurations, municipal staff help orient ...

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Municipal council compensation

The Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks, and Treasurers of Ontario (AMCTO) has released a new research report: Municipal Council Compensation in Ontario. Drawing on data ...

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Come Clean: Taking a look at how far the provincial hand is in the municipal pocket

Exactly how far is the provincial hand in the municipal pocket? We often hear that local governments in Canada get just 9 cents of every ...

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Canadian economy and population visibly on the rise

Canada has seen exponential growth in the past few years, both in the economy and in population. This economic growth and financial stability will, in ...

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Mississauga's Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) starts on April 1, 2018

The City of Mississauga will introduce a four per cent Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) effective April 1, 2018. Council approved the new tax which will apply ...

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Car-sharing: convenient, environmentally friendly or financially smart?

A recent report conducted by Vancity contacted over 4,000 B.C. residents to find out why they are using car-sharing services. A whopping 95 percent stated ...

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Why 0% tax increases cost so much

Short-Term Gain, Long-Term Pain In 1986, I attended the Western Canada Water and Sewage Conference in Calgary. A comment by the keynote luncheon speaker, a ...

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