The Land Use Implications of Alternative Municipal Financial Tools
The Land Use Implications of Alternative Municipal Financial Tools

Author: Enid Slack

Publisher: Intergovernmental Committee on Urban and Regional Research,$c1993.

Published: 1993

Total Pages: 74

ISBN-13:

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The first section of this paper presents a model of local government finance based on the benefits received from local government services. It includes discussion of the role of local government and the appropriate financing tools to carry out this role. The second section reviews the sources of revenues used by municipal governments, outlines recent trends in the use of these revenues, and evaluates the extent to which these trends have been consistent with the benefit model of local finance. The third section reviews planning tools used by municipal governments, highlights recent trends in planning, and discusses the relationship between planning and municipal finance. The fourth section analyzes the impact on land use decisions of three sources of revenue currently used by Canadian municipalities: user fees, property taxes, and development charges. The fifth section considers the potential impact of two sources not currently used: site value taxes and land value capture taxes. The sixth section summarizes the findings and discusses the implications of using tax policy to achieve land use objectives.

New Directions in Municipal Services
New Directions in Municipal Services

Author: Glenna Carr

Publisher:

Published: 1997

Total Pages: 82

ISBN-13:

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Presents an overview of municipal services that have been contracted out and provided by means other than direct, in- house delivery. The study focuses on Ontario and is based in part on a written questionnaire survey completed by municipal officials in 17 Ontario municipalities, and on follow-up telephone interviews. The authors also reviewed the literature and interviewed municipal officials with experience in alternative service delivery (ASD) elsewhere in Canada and the United States. Highlights of case studies for Canadian and US cities include information on the ASD methods used, the context in which they were used, and the outcomes. The final section summarizes findings and discusses the characteristics of successful ASD/competitive contracting, the differences between Canadian and US experience, obstacles facing Ontario municipalities, and the potential savings from ASD/competitiveness for Ontario municipalities. A copy of the survey questionnaire is included.

Developing Indicators of Urban Sustainability
Developing Indicators of Urban Sustainability

Author: Virginia Maclaren

Publisher:

Published: 1996

Total Pages: 184

ISBN-13:

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Having identified sustainability as an important goal, municipalities and other levels of government are turning to the issue of how to measure a community's progress towards achieving this goal. This report seeks to establish a methodology for developing sustainability indicators. It begins with a discussion of alternative definitions of urban sustainability and then describes some of the general characteristics of indicators and indices. Following a brief investigation of the meaning of sustainability indicators, several potential indicator frameworks are examined, including those which could be adapted from the work on state of the environment reporting, quality of life reporting, and healthy city reporting. Next, more detailed attention is given to appropriate criteria for identifying sustainability indicators and to the steps to be followed in applying those criteria. A number of examples of potential indicators are then described and evaluated against the criteria. Finally, detailed case studies of urban sustainability reporting are presented as well as a brief description of sustainability reporting projects in British Columbia.