AMCTO Policy Blog


Legislative and policy updates from Ontario's largest municipal professional association.
Province Announces 2022-23 Gas Tax Allocations
2023-03-01 10:27:44 AM

The Ministry of Transportation has announced 2022-23 allocations for the gas tax program. Funding for the gas tax program is determined by the number of liters of gasoline sold in the province during the previous year. Municipalities that support public transit services in ...





Regulatory Registry Posting: Proposed Minister’s Regulation under the Plannin...
2023-02-15 11:50:07 AM

Under the Planning Act, 1990 Consultation Timeline: February 6, 2023 – March 8, 2023 Ministry: Municipal Affairs and Housing Further details and to comment: https://www.ontariocanada.com/registry/view.do?postingId=43527&language=en The Minister of Municipal Affair...





Ontario Superior Court Ruling re Encampments on Municipal Property
2023-02-03 2:30:24 PM

On January 27, 2023, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice issued a decision stating that municipal by-laws that prohibit people experiencing homelessness from erecting encampments could be unconstitutional if there are not appropriate shelter alternatives available.   The C...





2023 ROMA Conference Highlights
2023-01-25 2:12:25 PM

AMCTO was pleased to participate in the first in-person ROMA Conference since 2020! We participated in the trade show, took part in delegation meetings to advance our advocacy priorities, and attended concurrent and plenary sessions. It was great to connect with municipal coll...





Advocacy Update: Calling for Return to the Assessment Cycle
2023-01-18 11:49:09 AM

As you'll recall, the province postponed property assessments during the COVID-19 pandemic. While this rationale was understood, continued delay is have effects on municipal finances. AMCTO and other municipal associations were disappointed that the Fall Economic Statement...





New Report on Local Government in Rural Ontario
2023-01-10 5:06:39 PM

University of Guelph Professor Ryan Gibson and PhD student John Dale recently a published a new report titled, “Do more, with less: The realities of local government in rural Ontario”. The research interviewed staff and elected officials of eight rural communities in Ontario. ...





Bill 39 Receives Royal Assent
2022-12-08 3:07:38 PM

In the last sitting of the fall session, Bill 39, Better Municipal Governance Act, 2022 passed third reading and received Royal Assent. This Act amends the City of Toronto Act, 2006 and the Municipal Act, 2001 to provide that if the head of council is of the o...





Province announces Phase 4 of Safe Restart Agreement
2022-12-07 11:49:47 AM

The Province has announced that it is providing municipalities with up to $505 million through Phase 4 of the federal-provincial Safe Restart Agreement to help support municipal transit systems. The funding will help municipal transit systems in 107 municipalities address c...





Reminder: New requirements for temporary patios begin January 1, 2023
2022-11-28 3:22:43 PM

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has posted a reminder that earlier this year the Government of Ontario amended regulations to permanently provide municipalities with the ability to approve temporary outdoor extensions of licensed premises like patios. Previ...





Advocacy Update: AMCTO Responds to Bill 23
2022-11-22 4:09:30 PM

AMCTO has made a submission to the Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy regarding Bill 23, More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022 . Our response is focused on the Bill’s impacts to municipal financial sustainability and the impacts to municipal proces...





 
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