In Case You're Curious

This episode considers a number of questions: can everyone cast a ballot? Why do some governments get a majority of power on a minority of support? Why do we use the current system, and have there been alternatives? What is a vote really worth? And, ultimately: does your vote matter? (Spoiler alert: you're darn right it does!)

Curious how to get City Hall to listen to you and your needs?

Tired of decisions being made before the public is heard?

Well then, this episode is for you.

Ontario's municipalities are on the hook for more than almost any local government in the country, but they're funded by a toolkit that hasn't grown to match. This episode considers how Ontario cities pay for the roads, transit, and services residents rely on; the five revenue tools available under provincial law; the lasting cost of 1990s-era downloading; and how Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec, and the territories fund their municipalities differently.

The Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act has changed the way some municipalities work. Today, we look at the reasons behind these extraordinary powers, how they work, and some curious ways they've been used so far.

This episode traces how Ontario's "downloading" of services reshaped the municipal landscape.

If you've ever wondered why your city seems perpetually strapped for cash, this is where a lot of the answer starts.

This episode considers how the Charter - the rules that bind all three of our governments - came to be, what it does, what it doesn't do, and how it can be infringed.

Before we talk about the Strong Mayor Powers, municipal finance, or electoral systems, we should understand the structures, mechanisms, and reasons these things operate the way they do.So, we'll start with the basics: how the federal, provincial, and municipal levels are structured, what each is actually responsible for, and how they fit together.Consider this episode as the foundation for everything else this season: how the Charter works, the impact of provincial downloading in Ontario (and how that affects your municipalities budget), and more.