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January 15, 2014

Opaque budgeting methods and financial reports in Canada’s major cities baffle councilors and taxpayers, according to a report released today by the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Baffling Budgets: The Need for Clearer and More Comprehensive Financial Reporting by Canada’s Municipalities,” authors Benjamin Dachis and William B.P. Robson, say fixing these flaws is a critical step toward better accountability to voters for municipal spending and taxation. The report reveals leaders and laggards among Canada’s major cities when it comes to transparent budgeting that allows comparison between budget promises and actual spending over the ensuing year.

 

Benjamin Dachis

Benjamin Dachis is a Senior Fellow at the C.D. Howe Institute and Vice President of Research and Outreach at Clean Prosperity. Previously, he served as Associate Vice President, Public Affairs at the C.D.

William Robson

Bill Robson took office as President and CEO of the C.D. Howe Institute in July 2006, after serving as the Institute’s Senior Vice President since 2003 and Director of Research from 2000 to 2003. He has written more than 280 monographs, articles, chapters and books on such subjects as government budgets, pensions, healthcare financing, inflation and currency issues.