Michael Fenn | Western University Canada (original) (raw)
Biographical note for Michael Fenn
Over the course of an extensive career as a Canadian public service executive, Michael Fenn has been a Province of Ontario Deputy Minister under three Premiers, municipal chief administrator in the Ontario cities of Hamilton and Burlington, and the founding CEO of both Toronto/Hamilton region transportation authority Metrolinx and Toronto-area regional health authority Mississauga Halton LHIN (serving over a million residents). As deputy minister, Michael was responsible for municipal affairs, public safety, rural development, and housing. He has participated in development missions to South Africa, Cuba and the Philippines.
Michael is a management consultant and a Board Director with the US$100+ billion OMERS AC pension fund, investing globally in assets including infrastructure and real estate. He has served on the boards of McMaster University, the Toronto District School Board's realty and development enterprise, the Toronto Lands Corporation and currently, Good Shepherd Non-profit Homes Board. He is a certified board director (C.Dir.). In 2018, he was appointed Visiting Fellow (Infrastructure) at Western University's Ivey School of Business.
In 2019, with Ken Seiling, he was appointed as Special Advisor to the Government of Ontario on reform of Regional Government. For a decade ending in 2020, he has served as Chair of the Expert Panel on policing and then Facilitator, jointly appointed by the Grand Chief of the Mushkegowuk Tribal Council for the Cree First Nations in Northeastern Ontario and by the Ontario Solicitor General.
His major research publications have addressed: AI and municipal government; the six main risks to success in delivering infrastructure; megatrends and the future of infrastructure; creative approaches to infrastructure finance; municipal asset management; the role of the Chief Administrator (CAO) in Ontario municipalities; municipal government “at an inflection point”; and, a review and action agenda for water, wastewater and stormwater services and infrastructure in Ontario. He led the Association of Municipalities of Ontario’s “business burden reduction” program of pilot projects and authored its report.
Michael’s career achievements have been acknowledged by a number of professional awards, including the Lieutenant Governor’s Medal of Distinction in Public Administration for Ontario, and the highest award for career achievement from Ontario’s two largest municipal administrators’ associations. In 2010, he was one of two Ontarians added to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario’s Honour Roll. In 2015, Michael’s municipal management career was profiled with a chapter in the book: Leaders in the Shadows: The Leadership Qualities of Municipal Chief Administrative Officers, by Professor David Siegel. He is co-editor of the 2023 book, "The Role of Canadian City Managers" from Univ. of Toronto Press.
December 4, 2023
Address: Fenn Advisory Services Inc.
5-2141 Caroline Street
Burlington ON Canada
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Papers by Michael Fenn
Canadian Urban Institute: ”A Jump Start: Providing Infrastructure for More Housing", 2024
Building housing-enabling municipal infrastructure on an accelerated basis is essential to increa... more Building housing-enabling municipal infrastructure on an accelerated basis is
essential to increasing the supply of housing across Canada. In fast-growing parts of Canada, the cost of providing a full range of infrastructure likely exceeds C$100,000 per home over time. Investment of that scale exceeds the financial capacity of the municipal sector, which owns and operates the majority of public infrastructure. It will require a considerable long-term investment by both the public sector and the private sector. It is a daunting but necessary venture and like some Canadian winter journeys, it
may require a “jump start”. Given the size, breadth and cost of the housing-enabling infrastructure needed to double the volume of housing starts in Canada, municipalities face unprecedented infrastructure funding and financing demands. Finding solutions will mean having a new conversation with Canada’s municipalities about the risks and opportunities involved.
This paper proposes four measures that should improve Canada’s
prospects for achieving our housing-enabling infrastructure requirements:
Moving from pre-payment to secured-payment for infrastructure over its useful life;
Ensuring all beneficiaries contribute to infrastructure’s cost over time;
Reducing municipalities’ infrastructure financial risks and limitations by using innovative financial models and private capital; and,
Tailoring infrastructure financing models to the fiscal risks and realities of
Canada’s small, rural and remote municipalities.
“Un coup de boost: Comment construire les infrastructures nécessaires au développement du logement”, 2024
La construction accélérée d’infrastructures municipales soutenant le logement est essentielle à l... more La construction accélérée d’infrastructures municipales soutenant le logement est essentielle à l’augmentation de l’offre de logements partout au Canada. Dans les régions du Canada en croissance rapide, le coût d’une gamme complète d’infrastructures dépassera probablement 100 000 C$ par logement avec le temps.
Un investissement de cette ampleur dépasse la capacité financière du secteur municipal, qui est propriétaire de la majorité des infrastructures publiques et les exploite. Un investissement considérable à long terme de la part du secteur public et du secteur privé sera nécessaire. C’est une entreprise ardue mais nécessaire, et, comme cela arrive lors des longs trajets pendant l’hiver canadien, elle a peut-être besoin d’être « boostée ».
Compte tenu de la taille, de l’étendue et du coût des infrastructures soutenant le logement nécessaires pour doubler le volume des mises en chantier au Canada, les municipalités seront confrontées à des demandes de financement d’infrastructures et de financement sans précédent. Les solutions impliqueront d’entamer une nouvelle conversation avec les
municipalités canadiennes sur les risques et les opportunités en jeu.
La présente étude propose quatre mesures qui devraient améliorer les chances du Canada de répondre à ses besoins en matière d’infrastructures soutenant le logement :
Passer d’un mode de paiement en amont à un paiement garanti pour l’infrastructure tout au long de sa durée de vie utile
Veiller à ce que tous les bénéficiaires contribuent au coût de l’infrastructure dans la durée
Réduire les risques et limites financières des infrastructures des municipalités en utilisant des modèles financiers innovants et des capitaux privés
Adapter les modèles de financement des infrastructures aux risques financiers et aux réalités des municipalités canadiennes petites, rurales ou éloignées du Canada
As linear programming techniques find applications in more diverse fields, the problem of solutio... more As linear programming techniques find applications in more diverse fields, the problem of solution time becomes increasingly important. A variation of the revised simplex algorithm, in which the constraints are added in a step-by-step fashion, is investigated as a potentially faster solution technique. A computational procedure, coded for the IBM 3&0 computer, is developed to compare this algorithm with the standard two-phase revised simplex algorithm. A limited number of problems, including several randomly generated problems, is solved by each of the two methods. The resulting comparison of solution times indicates that a significant improvement is obtained by the use of the procedure of step-by-step addition of constraints.
Mowat Centre for Policy Innovation, Apr 1, 2014
Public Asset Recycling. Financing new investments in public infrastructure, including attracting ... more Public Asset Recycling. Financing new investments in public infrastructure, including attracting public pension fund investments, by leveraging the value of existing public assets
University of Toronto Press eBooks, Dec 31, 2023
"Ontario Municipal Chief Administrative Officer Survey 2023", 2023
Since 2016, StrategyCorp has conducted a wide-ranging survey of municipal Chief Administrative... more Since 2016, StrategyCorp has conducted a wide-ranging survey of municipal Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs) from across Ontario to hear their views on the most pressing issues facing local governments today.
This year, we interviewed 28 CAOs from municipalities big and small, from upper, lower and single tier jurisdictions, and from every corner of the province. We conducted these interviews in the early summer, at a time when many municipalities were dealing with flooding, or forest fires, or poor air-quality resulting from fires burning hundreds of kilometres away.
Ontario CAOs are grappling with a broad spectrum of issues, from evergreen concerns around financial sustainability and human resources to increasing growth pressures and systemic social challenges including poverty, homelessness, and mental health, and addictions.
This year’s CAOs weigh in on it all, giving us insight into what the municipal sector’s leading public servants are thinking at this turning point in Ontario’s history.
“The Role of Canadian City Managers: In Their Own Words”, 2023
"The Role of Canadian City Managers" brings together experienced city managers and municipal chie... more "The Role of Canadian City Managers" brings together experienced city managers and municipal chief administrative officers (CAOs) across Canada to analyse the daily issues that they face. Each chapter deals with a particular issue or challenge, such as council/staff relations, collaborative initiatives, and crisis readiness. The book contributes to the literature on local government and public administration by providing insights from the "real time" lived experiences of city managers, spoken in their own words. The book also speculates about the contemporary leadership role of the city manager and the future of the city management profession.
The "Role of Canadian City Managers" is a useful resource for scholars and students of local government and public administration, as well as public servants who work with or aspire to leadership roles within local government.
More Affordable Infrastructure: Tax-Free Municipal Bonds, 2022
When the bank rate rises, higher borrowing costs are sure to follow. As the market demands highe... more When the bank rate rises, higher borrowing costs are sure to follow. As the market demands higher interest rates on municipal debentures, will that lead to fewer infrastructure projects, less state-of-good-repair investment, and a bigger slice of the property tax dollar going to debt-service costs?
This paper explores the way that a financing mechanism in widespread use across the United States could be employed to bring down the borrowing and refinancing costs facing Canadian municipalities. Tax-exempt municipal bonds – what the bond market calls ‘munis’ – allow American cities and their agencies to reduce their cost-of-capital, while encouraging investment in local and regional infrastructure projects. As inflation and supply-chain issues drive up the cost of construction projects, are ‘munis’ an 'idea whose time has come' for Canada?
This paper is part of the IMFG Perspectives series. For a full list of papers, please visit http:... more This paper is part of the IMFG Perspectives series. For a full list of papers, please visit http://bit.ly/2ylAa2D
StrategyCorp Institute CAOs Survey 2021-22, 2022
Since 2016, StrategyCorp has conducted an annual survey of municipal Chief Administrative Officer... more Since 2016, StrategyCorp has conducted an annual survey of municipal Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs) and City Managers from across Ontario, seeking their opinions on the most pressing issues in the municipal sector. Here are our findings from 2022.
We interviewed CAOs from municipalities of all sizes across Ontario, from upper-tier, lower-tier and single-tier municipalities. We conducted the interviews for this survey in late 2021 and early 2022. It was a time when summer’s public optimism that the pandemic might have run its course collided with the renewal of lockdowns and the Omicron variant.
This report is a snapshot of what the leaders of Ontario’s municipal sector are thinking at a critical time in Ontario’s history.
GREAT LAKES SEAWAY REVIEW, 2016
As the Trudeau Government looks at "asset recycling", an infrastructure bank, a... more As the Trudeau Government looks at "asset recycling", an infrastructure bank, and the future of Canadian ports, Michael Fenn’s article in the recent edition of the Great Lakes Seaway Review’s examines ways the private sector can expand Canadian and US fresh-water port infrastructure investment, including leveraging existing port-related assets. http://www.greatlakes-seawayreview.com
Ontario has benefited from well-functioning municipal government since Confederation, in large pa... more Ontario has benefited from well-functioning municipal government since Confederation, in large part because timely reforms have dealt with emerging problems. In response to recent issues, the Ontario government has decided that council-staff relations are sufficiently important to impose a legal requirement for a governing policy to be implemented in each of its 444 municipal governments. The often hidden, but very important, relationship between the municipal council and the public service is a key determinant of the success of any municipality. This paper explores how that relationship has changed over time with particular emphasis on the relatively recent ascendance in Ontario of the chief administrative officer (CAO) model. We believe that the CAO model performs better than either the council-committee model on which it was superimposed, or the U.S.-style “strong mayor†/political executive format that some favour. But the CAO model in Ontario is still relatively new and cont...
Canadian Public Administration/Administration publique du Canada, 1989
Healthcare Quarterly, 2007
is a founding partner of Courtyard Group, a global company with offices in Canada, the United Sta... more is a founding partner of Courtyard Group, a global company with offices in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom that is dedicated to transforming the healthcare system.
In Ontario, the history of provincial-municipal relations has progressed from the Baldwin Act of ... more In Ontario, the history of provincial-municipal relations has progressed from the Baldwin Act of 1849 and the Great Depression years, to the postwar boom and the tumultuous amalgamations and Local Services Realignment of the 1990s. At different points in Ontario's history, the pressures of managing growth, economic restructuring, social and demographic change, environmental sustainability, or shifting public expectations of government have led to reforms in provincial-municipal arrangements. And as pressures on provincial-municipal arrangements build, periods of fiscal constraint-like the one that the Government of Ontario is currently facing-have been a catalyst for change. Three major trends are pushing us towards another such inflection point: • The first is a growing recognition of the role cities and metropolitan regions play as centres of growth and national prosperity, along with the need to reform intergovernmental arrangements, devolve responsibilities, and differentiate the treatment of large urban areas from that of small, rural municipalities. • The second is increasing complexity in Ontario's provincial-municipal relations, with a tangled web of actors, responsibilities, service standards, and funding arrangements that create difficulties of coordination and governance for both orders of government. • The third is the emergence of threats to the fiscal health of Ontario municipalities, which have widely varying financial capacities, infrastructure deficits, workforce compensation pressures, and limits on the flexibility and diversity of local revenue sources. This issue of IMFG Perspectives, based upon a full-length report in the IMFG Papers series, proposes that-as in the past-provincial-municipal arrangements need to adapt to changing circumstances. This adaptation will require a shift in how the two orders of government understand their roles and the nature of their relationships. With little fiscal room to manoeuvre, the Province needs to embrace the role of "enabler"-setting the policy objectives and providing oversight and supports, but enabling municipal partners to identify local solutions by providing tools and flexibility. At the same time, local governments will have to recognize their role increasingly as fully accountable "partners." Rather than petitioning Queen's Park for funding and provincial fixes for local issues, municipalities should focus on engaging the Province and working cooperatively to address shared challenges. As the Smith Committee on Taxation stated in 1967, "Healthy intergovernmental relations in a federal system can be achieved only through continuous and unremitting effort, on the part of all, to adjust to changing circumstances." This is as true today as it was nearly 50 years ago.
This paper calls for a rethink of provincial-municipal arrangements in Ontario. The provincial-lo... more This paper calls for a rethink of provincial-municipal arrangements in Ontario. The provincial-local relationship receives little attention but has big impacts on public services – from transit and infrastructure to policing and social services – and far reaching implications for the prosperity and quality of life of Ontario’s communities. It suggests that the Government of Ontario’s arrangements with local governments are facing pressures for reform, with the Province’s challenging fiscal conditions as a likely catalyst for reform in the years ahead.
Canadian Public Administration, 2006
... to the 2003 provincial election, opposition leader Dalton McGuinty and key political advisers... more ... to the 2003 provincial election, opposition leader Dalton McGuinty and key political advisers began to ... and governance would be left in place, while the reform process proceeded ... new provincial governments have adopted the United States model of placing partisan sup-porters ...
City and County combine into single municipality Special arrangements for urban and rural communi... more City and County combine into single municipality Special arrangements for urban and rural communities Single-Tier Rural Municipality (Model 4) County is single rural municipality May incorporate suburban or small urban communities Amalgamation Based on Self-Contained Labour Areas (Model 3) Better aligns with work/residence patterns Relies on a "top-down" approach Local Rural Consolidation (Model 2) Local rural municipalities combine Rural-Urban Segregation/Annexation (Model 1) Defined rural/urban boundary Fringe-area policies
Canadian Urban Institute: ”A Jump Start: Providing Infrastructure for More Housing", 2024
Building housing-enabling municipal infrastructure on an accelerated basis is essential to increa... more Building housing-enabling municipal infrastructure on an accelerated basis is
essential to increasing the supply of housing across Canada. In fast-growing parts of Canada, the cost of providing a full range of infrastructure likely exceeds C$100,000 per home over time. Investment of that scale exceeds the financial capacity of the municipal sector, which owns and operates the majority of public infrastructure. It will require a considerable long-term investment by both the public sector and the private sector. It is a daunting but necessary venture and like some Canadian winter journeys, it
may require a “jump start”. Given the size, breadth and cost of the housing-enabling infrastructure needed to double the volume of housing starts in Canada, municipalities face unprecedented infrastructure funding and financing demands. Finding solutions will mean having a new conversation with Canada’s municipalities about the risks and opportunities involved.
This paper proposes four measures that should improve Canada’s
prospects for achieving our housing-enabling infrastructure requirements:
Moving from pre-payment to secured-payment for infrastructure over its useful life;
Ensuring all beneficiaries contribute to infrastructure’s cost over time;
Reducing municipalities’ infrastructure financial risks and limitations by using innovative financial models and private capital; and,
Tailoring infrastructure financing models to the fiscal risks and realities of
Canada’s small, rural and remote municipalities.
“Un coup de boost: Comment construire les infrastructures nécessaires au développement du logement”, 2024
La construction accélérée d’infrastructures municipales soutenant le logement est essentielle à l... more La construction accélérée d’infrastructures municipales soutenant le logement est essentielle à l’augmentation de l’offre de logements partout au Canada. Dans les régions du Canada en croissance rapide, le coût d’une gamme complète d’infrastructures dépassera probablement 100 000 C$ par logement avec le temps.
Un investissement de cette ampleur dépasse la capacité financière du secteur municipal, qui est propriétaire de la majorité des infrastructures publiques et les exploite. Un investissement considérable à long terme de la part du secteur public et du secteur privé sera nécessaire. C’est une entreprise ardue mais nécessaire, et, comme cela arrive lors des longs trajets pendant l’hiver canadien, elle a peut-être besoin d’être « boostée ».
Compte tenu de la taille, de l’étendue et du coût des infrastructures soutenant le logement nécessaires pour doubler le volume des mises en chantier au Canada, les municipalités seront confrontées à des demandes de financement d’infrastructures et de financement sans précédent. Les solutions impliqueront d’entamer une nouvelle conversation avec les
municipalités canadiennes sur les risques et les opportunités en jeu.
La présente étude propose quatre mesures qui devraient améliorer les chances du Canada de répondre à ses besoins en matière d’infrastructures soutenant le logement :
Passer d’un mode de paiement en amont à un paiement garanti pour l’infrastructure tout au long de sa durée de vie utile
Veiller à ce que tous les bénéficiaires contribuent au coût de l’infrastructure dans la durée
Réduire les risques et limites financières des infrastructures des municipalités en utilisant des modèles financiers innovants et des capitaux privés
Adapter les modèles de financement des infrastructures aux risques financiers et aux réalités des municipalités canadiennes petites, rurales ou éloignées du Canada
As linear programming techniques find applications in more diverse fields, the problem of solutio... more As linear programming techniques find applications in more diverse fields, the problem of solution time becomes increasingly important. A variation of the revised simplex algorithm, in which the constraints are added in a step-by-step fashion, is investigated as a potentially faster solution technique. A computational procedure, coded for the IBM 3&0 computer, is developed to compare this algorithm with the standard two-phase revised simplex algorithm. A limited number of problems, including several randomly generated problems, is solved by each of the two methods. The resulting comparison of solution times indicates that a significant improvement is obtained by the use of the procedure of step-by-step addition of constraints.
Mowat Centre for Policy Innovation, Apr 1, 2014
Public Asset Recycling. Financing new investments in public infrastructure, including attracting ... more Public Asset Recycling. Financing new investments in public infrastructure, including attracting public pension fund investments, by leveraging the value of existing public assets
University of Toronto Press eBooks, Dec 31, 2023
"Ontario Municipal Chief Administrative Officer Survey 2023", 2023
Since 2016, StrategyCorp has conducted a wide-ranging survey of municipal Chief Administrative... more Since 2016, StrategyCorp has conducted a wide-ranging survey of municipal Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs) from across Ontario to hear their views on the most pressing issues facing local governments today.
This year, we interviewed 28 CAOs from municipalities big and small, from upper, lower and single tier jurisdictions, and from every corner of the province. We conducted these interviews in the early summer, at a time when many municipalities were dealing with flooding, or forest fires, or poor air-quality resulting from fires burning hundreds of kilometres away.
Ontario CAOs are grappling with a broad spectrum of issues, from evergreen concerns around financial sustainability and human resources to increasing growth pressures and systemic social challenges including poverty, homelessness, and mental health, and addictions.
This year’s CAOs weigh in on it all, giving us insight into what the municipal sector’s leading public servants are thinking at this turning point in Ontario’s history.
“The Role of Canadian City Managers: In Their Own Words”, 2023
"The Role of Canadian City Managers" brings together experienced city managers and municipal chie... more "The Role of Canadian City Managers" brings together experienced city managers and municipal chief administrative officers (CAOs) across Canada to analyse the daily issues that they face. Each chapter deals with a particular issue or challenge, such as council/staff relations, collaborative initiatives, and crisis readiness. The book contributes to the literature on local government and public administration by providing insights from the "real time" lived experiences of city managers, spoken in their own words. The book also speculates about the contemporary leadership role of the city manager and the future of the city management profession.
The "Role of Canadian City Managers" is a useful resource for scholars and students of local government and public administration, as well as public servants who work with or aspire to leadership roles within local government.
More Affordable Infrastructure: Tax-Free Municipal Bonds, 2022
When the bank rate rises, higher borrowing costs are sure to follow. As the market demands highe... more When the bank rate rises, higher borrowing costs are sure to follow. As the market demands higher interest rates on municipal debentures, will that lead to fewer infrastructure projects, less state-of-good-repair investment, and a bigger slice of the property tax dollar going to debt-service costs?
This paper explores the way that a financing mechanism in widespread use across the United States could be employed to bring down the borrowing and refinancing costs facing Canadian municipalities. Tax-exempt municipal bonds – what the bond market calls ‘munis’ – allow American cities and their agencies to reduce their cost-of-capital, while encouraging investment in local and regional infrastructure projects. As inflation and supply-chain issues drive up the cost of construction projects, are ‘munis’ an 'idea whose time has come' for Canada?
This paper is part of the IMFG Perspectives series. For a full list of papers, please visit http:... more This paper is part of the IMFG Perspectives series. For a full list of papers, please visit http://bit.ly/2ylAa2D
StrategyCorp Institute CAOs Survey 2021-22, 2022
Since 2016, StrategyCorp has conducted an annual survey of municipal Chief Administrative Officer... more Since 2016, StrategyCorp has conducted an annual survey of municipal Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs) and City Managers from across Ontario, seeking their opinions on the most pressing issues in the municipal sector. Here are our findings from 2022.
We interviewed CAOs from municipalities of all sizes across Ontario, from upper-tier, lower-tier and single-tier municipalities. We conducted the interviews for this survey in late 2021 and early 2022. It was a time when summer’s public optimism that the pandemic might have run its course collided with the renewal of lockdowns and the Omicron variant.
This report is a snapshot of what the leaders of Ontario’s municipal sector are thinking at a critical time in Ontario’s history.
GREAT LAKES SEAWAY REVIEW, 2016
As the Trudeau Government looks at "asset recycling", an infrastructure bank, a... more As the Trudeau Government looks at "asset recycling", an infrastructure bank, and the future of Canadian ports, Michael Fenn’s article in the recent edition of the Great Lakes Seaway Review’s examines ways the private sector can expand Canadian and US fresh-water port infrastructure investment, including leveraging existing port-related assets. http://www.greatlakes-seawayreview.com
Ontario has benefited from well-functioning municipal government since Confederation, in large pa... more Ontario has benefited from well-functioning municipal government since Confederation, in large part because timely reforms have dealt with emerging problems. In response to recent issues, the Ontario government has decided that council-staff relations are sufficiently important to impose a legal requirement for a governing policy to be implemented in each of its 444 municipal governments. The often hidden, but very important, relationship between the municipal council and the public service is a key determinant of the success of any municipality. This paper explores how that relationship has changed over time with particular emphasis on the relatively recent ascendance in Ontario of the chief administrative officer (CAO) model. We believe that the CAO model performs better than either the council-committee model on which it was superimposed, or the U.S.-style “strong mayor†/political executive format that some favour. But the CAO model in Ontario is still relatively new and cont...
Canadian Public Administration/Administration publique du Canada, 1989
Healthcare Quarterly, 2007
is a founding partner of Courtyard Group, a global company with offices in Canada, the United Sta... more is a founding partner of Courtyard Group, a global company with offices in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom that is dedicated to transforming the healthcare system.
In Ontario, the history of provincial-municipal relations has progressed from the Baldwin Act of ... more In Ontario, the history of provincial-municipal relations has progressed from the Baldwin Act of 1849 and the Great Depression years, to the postwar boom and the tumultuous amalgamations and Local Services Realignment of the 1990s. At different points in Ontario's history, the pressures of managing growth, economic restructuring, social and demographic change, environmental sustainability, or shifting public expectations of government have led to reforms in provincial-municipal arrangements. And as pressures on provincial-municipal arrangements build, periods of fiscal constraint-like the one that the Government of Ontario is currently facing-have been a catalyst for change. Three major trends are pushing us towards another such inflection point: • The first is a growing recognition of the role cities and metropolitan regions play as centres of growth and national prosperity, along with the need to reform intergovernmental arrangements, devolve responsibilities, and differentiate the treatment of large urban areas from that of small, rural municipalities. • The second is increasing complexity in Ontario's provincial-municipal relations, with a tangled web of actors, responsibilities, service standards, and funding arrangements that create difficulties of coordination and governance for both orders of government. • The third is the emergence of threats to the fiscal health of Ontario municipalities, which have widely varying financial capacities, infrastructure deficits, workforce compensation pressures, and limits on the flexibility and diversity of local revenue sources. This issue of IMFG Perspectives, based upon a full-length report in the IMFG Papers series, proposes that-as in the past-provincial-municipal arrangements need to adapt to changing circumstances. This adaptation will require a shift in how the two orders of government understand their roles and the nature of their relationships. With little fiscal room to manoeuvre, the Province needs to embrace the role of "enabler"-setting the policy objectives and providing oversight and supports, but enabling municipal partners to identify local solutions by providing tools and flexibility. At the same time, local governments will have to recognize their role increasingly as fully accountable "partners." Rather than petitioning Queen's Park for funding and provincial fixes for local issues, municipalities should focus on engaging the Province and working cooperatively to address shared challenges. As the Smith Committee on Taxation stated in 1967, "Healthy intergovernmental relations in a federal system can be achieved only through continuous and unremitting effort, on the part of all, to adjust to changing circumstances." This is as true today as it was nearly 50 years ago.
This paper calls for a rethink of provincial-municipal arrangements in Ontario. The provincial-lo... more This paper calls for a rethink of provincial-municipal arrangements in Ontario. The provincial-local relationship receives little attention but has big impacts on public services – from transit and infrastructure to policing and social services – and far reaching implications for the prosperity and quality of life of Ontario’s communities. It suggests that the Government of Ontario’s arrangements with local governments are facing pressures for reform, with the Province’s challenging fiscal conditions as a likely catalyst for reform in the years ahead.
Canadian Public Administration, 2006
... to the 2003 provincial election, opposition leader Dalton McGuinty and key political advisers... more ... to the 2003 provincial election, opposition leader Dalton McGuinty and key political advisers began to ... and governance would be left in place, while the reform process proceeded ... new provincial governments have adopted the United States model of placing partisan sup-porters ...
City and County combine into single municipality Special arrangements for urban and rural communi... more City and County combine into single municipality Special arrangements for urban and rural communities Single-Tier Rural Municipality (Model 4) County is single rural municipality May incorporate suburban or small urban communities Amalgamation Based on Self-Contained Labour Areas (Model 3) Better aligns with work/residence patterns Relies on a "top-down" approach Local Rural Consolidation (Model 2) Local rural municipalities combine Rural-Urban Segregation/Annexation (Model 1) Defined rural/urban boundary Fringe-area policies
"DG municipal : une profession à découvrir et à valoriser" [“Municipal Director-General: A profession to discover and to value”] , 2024
La fonction de directeur général d’une municipalité est une profession qui s’apprend surtout dans... more La fonction de directeur général d’une municipalité est une profession qui s’apprend surtout dans la réalité d’une organisation, en s’appuyant sur des conseils si possible ou en exploitant des compétences acquises antérieurement dans d’autres fonctions. C’est en quelque sorte la dure école du terrain, et les sources de réflexion de nature académique qui viennent appuyer l’évolution des DG municipaux dans leur fonction sont rares. Avec cette adaptation du livre « The Role of Canadian City Managers: In Their Own Words » paru en 2023 aux Presses de l’Université de Toronto, Pierre Prévost et Sébastien Roy ouvrent la porte à une expérience et à des conseils de grande valeur en matière de gestion municipale. Forts de leur propre carrière, ils ont également apporté à cette adaptation leur regard stimulant sur le monde municipal québécois, en étroite collaboration avec Michael Fenn, co-éditeur du livre original. Ce livre devrait rapidement trouver sa place sur le bureau de chaque directeur général et dans chaque programme académique destiné à former la prochaine génération de leaders en gestion municipale.
The role of the city manager or chief administrative officer (CAO) of a municipality – or in Québec, municipal directeur général, or simply DG – is a profession that is learned, above all, from the day-to-day reality of a municipal organization, relying on advice if possible, or by exploiting skills previously acquired in other functions. It is learned in the “school of hard knocks” and the sources of reflection of an academic nature which support the evolution of municipal CAOs in their function are rare. With this adaptation of the book “The Role of Canadian City Managers: In Their Own Words”, published in 2023 by the University of Toronto Press, Pierre Prévost and Sébastien Roy open the door to valuable experience and advice in matters of municipal management. Building on their own careers, they also brought to this adaptation their stimulating perspective on the municipal world of Québec, in close collaboration with Michael Fenn, co-editor of the original book. This book should quickly find its place on the desk of every city manager and CAO and in every academic program intended to train the next generation of leaders in municipal management.
“The Role of Canadian City Managers: In Their Own Words”, 2023
"City managers are key to the success of a city and yet most people are not aware of what they ac... more "City managers are key to the success of a city and yet most people are not aware of what they actually do. This book fills that knowledge gap. The chapters, written mainly by current and former city managers from across the country, are candid, personal, and inspiring. It is a fascinating read for those who want to know about the role that city managers play in making local government work." -- Dr. Enid Slack, Director, Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance, School of Cities, University of Toronto.
"A rare glimpse into the lives of Canadian city managers. Works as well as a reference book for those currently holding or aspiring to the position as it does a cover-to-cover read for those interested in learning more about this understudied and often underappreciated group of public-sector professionals." -- Joseph Lyons, Assistant Professor of Political Science and Director of the Local Government Program, Western University
"Close to 1,000 years of experience, along with insights from such surprising sources as Robbie Burns and Yogi Berra, provide the foundation for this informative and highly readable book. It takes us well beyond traditional roles and relationships to reveal the multifaceted dimensions of the work of the effective city manager/CAO." -- C. Richard Tindal, Retired Professor of Government, St. Lawrence College and co-author of "Local Government in Canada".
"This book is an enthralling read for seasoned and aspiring CAOs, elected officials, and ‘local government groupies. The stories provided are more than enlightening and clearly demonstrate the talent, dedication, and wisdom it takes to be an executive leader in the complex world of municipal government. Thank God for these people!" -- Maureen McCauley, retired Executive Director, Ontario Municipal Administrators Assn.
"Canadian Federalism and Infrastructure", 2018
The latest book in Queen’s University’s State of the Federation series explores “Canadian Federal... more The latest book in Queen’s University’s State of the Federation series explores “Canadian Federalism and Infrastructure”. In chapter 11, Michael Fenn proposes prudent leveraging public assets to finance new public infrastructure – what to do, and what to avoid.
RCCAO Podcasts, 2020
This podcast, entitled "Hallway Medicine – Cures for a Pending Crisis", features a discussion abo... more This podcast, entitled "Hallway Medicine – Cures for a Pending Crisis", features a discussion about more practical ways to deal with overcrowding in hospitals with Michael Fenn, a senior advisor at StrategyCorp who is former deputy minister for Ontario and founding CEO of theMississauga Halton Local Health Integration Network, and Phil Rubinoff, a builder/developer and chairman of the RCCAO board of directors. To listen to the podcast, click here or go towww.rccao.com.
https://www.rccao.com/news/podcasts.php
https://lnkd.in/gfBY3C-F Retired Associate Chief Justice Frank Marrocco's recommendations for mu... more https://lnkd.in/gfBY3C-F
Retired Associate Chief Justice Frank Marrocco's recommendations for municipal reforms affecting mayors and city managers / CAO, with Kate McGrann, Prof. David Siegel and Michael Fenn
A thought-provoking panel discussion of the Collingwood Public Inquiry's extensive findings and recommendations to re-define the roles of Ontario's mayors, municipal councillors, integrity commissioners and CAOs/city managers. A timely action agenda for the Minister of Municipal Affairs & Housing and the Ontario Attorney General.