While we have been assured that reducing the municipal reporting burden remains a priority and though we have achieved some success addressing the reporting burden through targeting specific ministries, actions taken thus far have not adequately addressed the concerns of the sector.
Understanding that there is more work to be done, our policy and government relations team evaluated the Association’s previous approach to advocacy on this important topic. In consultation with the Legislative and Policy Advisory Committee (LPAC), staff have developed a renewed advocacy strategy. This strategy includes a phased approach:
- Re-introducing the municipal reporting burden to other orders of government, starting with the Province and re-educating on the impacts of these reporting requirements
- Identifying an initial 3-5 reports AMCTO members identify as the most problematic
- Targeting specific ministries/agencies responsible for these reports to find opportunities to reduce, streamline or condense reporting requirements
While we recognize that the municipal reporting burden cannot be fully eliminated as some reporting is necessary for transparency and accountability, responding to application and reporting requirements of federal and provincial programs (some of which are required within tight deadlines and at inopportune times) is challenging. This is why our Association has continued to advocate for the continuous reduction in the municipal reporting burden.
Our goal is to continue to address concerns and recommendations put forward in our 2018 report, Bearing the Burden, while identifying solutions for targeted reporting requirements and building momentum in addressing wider reporting concerns.
An initial activity in the first phase of this renewed approach is data collection and analysis. Information collected in the intake form (linked in the button below) will help us better identify and understand the most common, problematic reporting requirements. With this intake form, we want to know:
- Basic details about the report submitted
- Anecdotes and stories that demonstrate the impact of the need to report
- Any advocacy your municipality may have done on the specific issue
- Your ideas for addressing the issue including any recommended solutions
We want to thank you in advance for sharing your concerns and ideas with us and we hope that through this renewed strategy, we will see more specific and timely actions from the Province to reduce the municipal reporting burden.
For more information or questions, please contact us.