Year: 1974
Summary: Scan of major elections issues in 1974.
Year: 1976
Summary: Scan of major elections issues in 1976.
Year: 1971
Summary: Toronto City Council asked the Province to be able to participate in a more equitable pension plan, such as the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS).
Year: 1940
Summary: Suggests that city service departments should be coordinated under one commissioner, responsible to council - reducing the work of departmental purchasing, streamlining accounting, and making the use of personnel more economical.
Summary: Provides estimated expenditures for the 1940 civic budget analyzed by the cost of main function to be met out by taxation. Suggests that civic departments be reduced, and that a city planning committee be established to increase both economy and efficiency.
Year: 1944
Summary: Outlines two trends in local government structure: (1) The movement toward centralised supervision or control (2) The movement toward Municipal Home Rule. Argues that a balance needs to be struck between nourishing democracy and maintaining strong and vital local institutions. Questions whether or not municipal institutions should be transfered under the control of representatives removed from popular scrutiny.
Year: 1961
Summary: Examines proposals which aim to correct weaknesses of Metro Toronto Area government.
Year: 1962
Summary: A summary of the work done by the Bureau of Municipal Research for the year ending 1962. Includes a summary of the current work and future programme of the Bureau. Bureau expenditures and members at the end.
Year: 1959
Summary: Looks at the meaning of "the spoils system", and the application of the ideas of "merit", "the central personnel agency" and "the classification system" in the public personnel field.
Year: 1950
Summary: Identifies structural implications of municipal reform and re-defining of municipalities in Ontario.
Year: 1916
Summary: This publication highlights the need for an independent citizen research bureau (such as the Bureau of Municipal Research) to inform fellow citizens and to keep municipal government accountable when it comes to spending taxpayer dollars. Additionally, the Bureau outlines some of their near and long-term goals in improving and modernizing city administration and planning.
Year: 1951
Summary: Analysis of Board of Education structure, authority and expenditure in light of public controversy about their current level of expenditure.
Year: 1946
Summary: Argues that coordination is needed between the different councils, either by amalgamation or by creating a County Council.
Year: 1924
Summary: "An imaginary letter from a hypothetical correspondent" describing the problematic situation at New Union Station and the inefficiency in the operation of three separate commissions involved: Harbour, Transportation and Hydroelectric.
Year: 1918
Summary: This publication examines how the education system functioning and whether or not it is efficiently using its funding and achieving its goals.
Summary: Suggests possible steps to increase efficiency in Toronto's metropolitan government, including: reducing the number of members of City Council, abolishing the ward system, and establishing an administrative board to centre executive responsibility.
Year: 1923
Summary: Outlines issues of proposed tax reform and jurisdictional comparison with other places around the world, with the conclusion from the bureau that changing tax schemes does not necessarily reduce the tax burden.
Year: 1936
Summary: Outlines the Bureau's mission statement and achievements from 1914-1936. Brief summary of the Bureau's influence on policy as well as praise from Bureau publication subscribers.
Year: 1914
Summary: Outlines the key issues for the Municipal Improvement Association for 1915, including: the financial system, civil service commission, fire department, purchasing department, and transportation commission.
Summary: Current prospects state that the city of Toronto will be paying $4,500,000 annually for debt charges by 1915 , and the total city revenue for 1914 was $11,688,884. Toronto taxpayers should advocate for better management of debentures
Summary: News Brief about improving efficiency by merging departments dealing with property development, buildings and properties etc.
Year: 1922
Summary: A summary of publications and achievements of the Bureau of Municipal Research from 1914-1922, including adoption of Bureau policy recommendations
Year: 1926
Summary: A summary of publications and achievements of the Bureau of Municipal Research from 1914-1926. Outlines Bureau mission statement and long-term goals to influence public policy. Detailed listing of Bureau publications and subscribers.
Year: 1930
Summary: A summary of the work done by the Bureau of Municipal Research for the year ending 1930. The City Planning Committee is discussed. The need for efficiency and cooperation between various city administrations and boards is highlighted. Various Bureau publications throughout the year also stressed the need for better coordination of city government. Bureau expenditures and subscribers at the end.
Year: 1975
Summary: Survey of the Oro Township school system as an example of how the consolidation of the school system into larger units has affected education in the six years since it took place.
Year: 1925
Summary: A summary of the work done by the Bureau of Municipal Research for the year ending 1925. Work included community engagement, public debates and addresses, and publishing various bulletins. Civic government accomplishments and the city budget and taxes are outlined. Other steps to advance efficiency and economy are discussed. Bureau expenditures and subscribers at the end.
Year: 1934
Summary: Argues that amalgamation of related departments under one auspice would be beneficial to the city, and should be done when an opportunity such as the retirement of a head of department occurs.
Year: 1939
Summary: Highlights the need for increased efficiency in running the city's matters at wartime. Suggests a lack of planning for the future is wasteful, that council sessions frequently waste time, and are too dominated by the Board of Control. Suggests that candidates who run for city council are not of sufficient calibre, and that increasing term limits would remedy this issue.
Year: 1952
Summary: Describes possibilities to improve efficiency of civic authorities by amalgamation of departments, boards etc.
Year: 1965
Summary: Examines recommendations proposed by The Royal Commission on Metropolitan Toronto (which evaluated the effectiveness of the existing form of metropolitan government).