2014 AMO Annual Report

2014 Annual Report AMO Voicea forYOU -3- Table of Contents 2014: Year in Review Message from the President ....................................................................................................4 Message from the Executive Director ....................................................................................6 AMO Board of Directors Strategic Objectives - Final Report Dec. 2014 .........................7 Ontario-MOU Memorandum of Understanding ..............................................................11 Message from the Secretary-Treasurer ................................................................................12 AMO is... The AMO Board .....................................................................................................................14 The AMO Team ......................................................................................................................15 AMO Members ......................................................................................................................16 AMO Supporters ....................................................................................................................22 Our Work Task Forces ..............................................................................................................................23 Appointments .........................................................................................................................35 Financial Statements Independent Auditors’ Report ..............................................................................................44 Statement of Financial Position ............................................................................................46 Statement of Operations ........................................................................................................47 Statement of Changes in Net Assets .....................................................................................48 Statement of Cash Flows ........................................................................................................49 Notes to the Financial Statements ........................................................................................50 -4- 2014 Year in Review Message from the AMO President 2014 was another busy year for your Association. I want to thank Russ Powers for his leadership and work as AMO President from 2012-2014. While he retired from his council position in Hamilton last fall, he continues to be a municipal government supporter. It was also was a year with both municipal and provincial elections so not only were lawns covered in leaves, but also election signage. The Province is proposing to move its set election to springtime. This would eliminate the overlap of campaigns, but it would seem that provincial budgets would no longer be passed until at least half way through the municipal budget year. This will have its own set of consequences. It also means that trying to influence political Gary McNamara platforms will be even more critical and timely. President, AMO 2014 saw a 56% turnover of municipal elected officials, the vast majority never having held public office. The election results also impacted the AMO Board, necessitating the filling of eight Board vacancies. The Board was at its full 43 member strength in relatively short order and we continue to see caucus representation that spans the province. This breadth of perspective and experience is invaluable to our work. The early part of 2014 was challenging. A lot of effort went to trying to get traction on several Bills that supported municipal governments through the House and Standing Committees, such as the legislation that was to add new collection tools for fines under the Provincial Offences Act. But inertia in the House was endemic and somewhat frustrating as few Bills became law. It was clear that this could not be sustained so AMO released a mid-term report card on and its 2014 provincial election strategy. (See inset on page 10: AMO 2014 Provincial Election Priorities.) After the election, our priority was to influence the majority government’s Fall Economic Statement and its 2015 budget preparation and that balancing the budget on the backs of property taxpayers was unacceptable. It will always be unacceptable. It is a constant in our work with Ministries and at the Memorandum of Understanding table. (Refer to page 11 for more details.) -4- -5- Last September, Premier Wynne, for the first time We work continuously to keep our members in provincial history, made public Ministerial informed of what is happening. We alert you Mandate Letters which set out key expectations of when we need your help locally because advocacy the Ministers. The good news is we have a better requires both a top down and bottom up approach. sense of what each Minister is to accomplish. Consistent, principled advocacy positions are hard The challenge is the rate and speed at which for any government to ignore. So I urge you to each Minister is pursuing their policy initiatives watch for and read our push outs. There may be and more critically, where the policy will land in many of them, but that is because the government terms of direction and implementation. We are has a very active policy agenda. There are 15 actively working on responses to many ministerial Ministries that in some form or fashion touch consultations that began late 2014, which has made municipal governments and they are all active. We for an even busier 2015. don’t want you left behind or surprised. I want to highlight one important initiative. This is my second term as President and I appreciate The Board approved work toward developing a the confidence that members have shown as well as forward looking fiscal framework for municipal the warm welcome as I travel the province. When governments. Called “What’s Next Ontario?” it meeting with the Premier, Ministers and MPPs of documents the past municipal fiscal journey and all parties, I take with me the Board’s positions and projects future expenditures. Even with the $1.5 demonstrate their merits based on circumstances plus billion upload, municipal governments are which members have shared. That is what makes working today with 9 cents of every household tax AMO so valuable – to explain why a one-size fits dollar to fund a greater range of every day services all approach is not in the best interests of the than the province and federal governments. This is province or municipal governments. The diversity not sustainable, at least in the absence of significant of Ontario’s 444 municipal requires flexibility as annual property tax increases. This project involves communities change over time. a lot of consultation with members, seeking their In conclusion, the sector succeeds best when ideas about the future. Only by working together Ontario’s municipalities are committed to can we build a solid framework and advocacy supporting one another. Mutual support and agenda. Thank you to all that have participated cooperation achieves far more than we could ever in the first phase and we look forward to your achieve as individual municipalities. continued interest and support as we build a proposed sustainable fiscal framework. Check out the Board’s 2014 Strategic Objectives and Status Report (pages 7 - 10). It documents a mountain of work and successes … an arbitration Gary McNamara award that resulted in $15 million more for President, AMO & Mayor, Town of Tecumseh municipal Blue Box programs, recommendations on how to modernize policing and impact its costs and P.S. Please check out the Ontario-AMO MOU improvements to the land use planning system. and its activity for 2014 on page 11 -6- Message from the Executive Director “In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.” - Albert Camus I am tempted to end my report at the end of will impact municipal governments. The this quote because the quote is right – in life, Association’s Board and staff is driven to work and play. In the work at AMO, this is ensure that any Bill affecting municipal particularly so. Policy in a political world is in government is motivated by good public some ways an endurance feat. When I reflect policy, that it comes with financial capacity on the Board’s Strategic Objectives over the (is not downloading or offloading) and years, and especially 2014, endurance has implementation does not bring unintended been an important feature. But at the best consequences. Members input and local of times, policy change through legislation advocacy help always. So thank you for your or program delivery is not an overnight role and efforts. Thank you for your dedication matter. Policy outcomes often are derived by to your communities and to the well-being of concensus of opposing groups, so the landing the sector and your association. place may not be the preferred. Sometimes I will end here to watch the sun set on a warm, we see incremental change over the years. lovely summer evening and reflect on the That was the case with the Municipal Act. privilege of leading a dedicated staff and a It took 10 years and 3 attempts before the strong, visionary and supportive Board and legislation reflected natural person’s powers President. and broad authorities within spheres of jurisdiction. We are entering

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