Year: 1980
Summary: Evaluates the impact of cost-saving innovations in Canadian municipalities, as well as factors which led to the success or failure of those innovations. Examines five case studies.
Year: 1979
Summary: Productivity and quality of working life are mutually reinforcing. This report examines experiences in both public and private sectors in the United States and Canada
Summary: Identifies various cost-saving innovations in municipalities in Canada, as well as other countries. Documents efforts at the local level to save money through the use of innovative management and/or technological changes.
Summary: Summarizes a seminar which explores the relationship between local government and the media, and public access to government-held information. Emphasis is placed on the importance of freedom of information in democratic societies.
Year: 1976
Summary: Analysis of how provincial budget cuts affected social services in Ontario municipalities and the lack of sufficient information to account for spending on these issues.
Summary: The roles, authority and limitations on municipal auditors in Ontario, including jurisdictional scan and political challenges.
Year: 1974
Summary: Study of citizen participation, with a focus on on citizen groups whose chief concern is local government decisions about the physical environment.
Year: 1972
Summary: Argues that the Harbourfront division of authority is archaic and in need of review in order to ensure that the population benefits from the waterfront.
Summary: Argues that many notices sent to city residents as though informing them of their rights and of planned action are in fact not clear, not helpful, and do not supply sufficient information.
Year: 1970
Summary: Reviews causes of neighbourhood-city conflict, and examines how ratepayers and resident associations in the city interact with elected representatives. Argues for increased participation of neighbourhood groups in local policy making.
Year: 1960
Summary: Objection to the North York decision to appoint a board of control in light of too heavy a workload - the Bureau claims that an executive Committee would be enough and that a Board of Control takes away too much power from elected officials.
Year: 1950
Summary: A public address by Dr. W. A. Mackintosh about what the government should and shouldn't be doing in terms of responsibilities for services and infringement on the personal and economic freedoms of the residents.
Summary: Analysis of the use of the referendum in Canada.
Summary: Identifies structural implications of municipal reform and re-defining of municipalities in Ontario.
Year: 1949
Summary: Advocates for "full and frank treatment" of important civic business in order to keep the public engaged.
Year: 1947
Summary: Suggests the ability of citizens to influence government at the local level. Emphasizes the importance of active local representative instiutions.
Summary: Pointing to the legitimacy and authority problems that arise from the council members' hope to establish a municipal corporation.
Year: 1945
Summary: Text of lectures on the topic of importance of local government for democracy. Lecturers include Harold A. Innis, Professor J.A. Corry, and Horace L. Brittain.
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.
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: 1934
Summary: Need for accountability and more transparency in reporting on deficits.
Summary: Argues that city workers' salaries can be reduced in light of the increase on purchasing power with the Great Depression
Year: 1930
Summary: Highlights the importance of municipal financial reporting for both policy-makers and citizens. Traces the development of municipal financial reporting in Toronto over the decades. Stresses a need for annual report on civic expenditures to be made available to the general public.
Year: 1929
Summary: A detailed description of the organizational structure of the municipal government. Highlights the need for city planning and centralized purchasing for better efficiency.
Summary: Municipal corporations must run more efficiently, more like businesses and with a central organization.
Year: 1926
Summary: Highlights the need for careful review of all civic services to ensure efficiency before reaching decisions about salaries and benefits for city workers.
Year: 1925
Summary: An open letter highlighting a specific case of patronage and possible misconduct in city appointments - in which the Control Board attempted to appoint a man and his wife to city positions without listing their qualifications for the positions.
Summary: Urges citizen vigilance in monitoring expenditures which may put the city's credit as risk, which could in turn increase taxation. Reminds citizens to vote, and to keep credit and expenditure issues in mind when voting.
Summary: In this publication, the Bureau argues that vacant positions in the civic service must be filled based on merit and not patronage or politics.
Summary: Comparative analysis and recommendations for curing the illness of the Toronto municipal system, including changing term length, abolishing the ward system, reducing city council size, increasing efficiency.