Year: 1979
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: 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: 1971
Summary: Examines the advantages and pitfalls of holding a referendum over development issues, using a case study from Kitchener as an example.
Year: 1968
Summary: Analysis of requests and approvals of conference attendance for city council members in light of public criticism of attending these conferences at the city's expense.
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: 1935
Summary: Outlines the structure of the city corporation. Highlights the need for more accountability and better efficiency and the important of more public engagement in the city's affairs.
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.
Year: 1919
Summary: Describes the theory of proportional representation, how it works in practice, characteristics, main objections, where this method of voting is used, and if it could be applied in Toronto.
Year: 1916
Summary: Accurate accounting practices will provide a basis for effective vigilance in public schools. Based on the City Auditor's Report on Public School Accounting.