2026 Annual Conference Program
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S01EDAligning Investment Strategy with New Council Priorities: Building Resilient Portfolios That Can Support Municipal Goals 11:00 AM12:00 PMPetunpetunroomTuesday, September 22, 2026With municipal council turnover exceeding 42% during the 2022 elections, the 2026 election presents an important opportunity to position investment management as a strategic priority for newly elected Councils. For municipalities of all sizes, a well-structured investment program can play a meaningful role in supporting long-term financial sustainability.

This session will examine Section 418.1 of the Municipal Act and explore how municipalities can strengthen future financial capacity through resilient, diversified portfolios. Attendees will gain practical insight into how strategic investing can help advance municipal objectives while reducing future tax pressures.		Martin Leclair, CFA, Vice President & Institutional Portfolio Manager, PH&N Institutional (bio)
Paul Purcell, CFA, Managing Director & Institutional Portfolio Manager, PH&N Institutional (bio)
Jason Hagan, Program Manager, LAS/ONE Investment (bio)
S31EDWorkshop 1: From Model to Council Chambers: Telling the Story Through Long Range Financial Planning 1:00 PM4:00 PMSilver CreeksilvercreekTuesday, September 22, 2026The fiscal outlook of municipalities is highly dynamic. Changing legislation, constrained revenues, increasing cost of financing and the magnitude and scope of capital are a few of the many factors that drive fiscal outcomes. With all these factors in mind, one concept is clear: there is a story to be told.

This session focuses on long range financial planning and how it can be used to tell a story. The session begins with an understanding of a dynamic financial model that can be utilized to project long-term operating and capital needs for both asset management and growth, reserve adequacy, debt levels, assessment growth, development charge revenues and other measures. All these financial drivers ultimately result in the main output: the impact on residents through their property taxes. Attendees will gain an understanding of the financial model approach through practical Excel based examples and scenario testing.

Attendees will also get a better understanding of how to tell the story of the long-term financial outlook to Council. This practical approach will be showcased through the work completed by the Town of Ajax, to provide attendees with municipal staff’s experience of long-range financial planning from initial concept all the way to Council presentation.

By the end of the workshop, attendees will have an understanding of a set of tools in long range financial planning that can be used to provide Council with a financial story reflective of the financial outlook on the ground.		Craig Binning, Managing Partner, Hemson Consulting (bio)
Christopher Balette, Associate Partner, Hemson Consulting (bio)
Kevin Douglas, Acting Supervisor of Accounting, Town of Ajax (bio)
Julie Mepham, Director of Finance / Treasurer, Town of Ajax (bio)
S41EDWorkshop 2: PSAB 1202, Conceptual Framework 1:00 PM4:00 PMNipissingnipissingTuesday, September 22, 2026PS1202, PSAB's new reporting model, will impact all Ontario municipalities for the fiscal year beginning January 1, 2027, along with PSAB's new conceptual framework. This is more than a simple presentation change. Municipalities will need to ensure their chart of accounts is aligned with the new reporting requirements, budgeting processes revised, reporting interfaces updated, and policies revisited. Municipalities also have a unique opportunity to streamline their financial reporting processes for a more efficient year end close going forward. Are you ready to get the most out of the new reporting model?

This workshop will equip your finance team to hit the ground running with PS1202 implementation. This interactive session will engage participants to:
  • Develop template financial statements for their municipality based on PS1202 and the conceptual framework;
  • Identify key action items to address major gaps between existing reporting and budgeting practices and PS1202 requirements;
  • Assess the impact of reporting model implications on financial reporting systems and chart of accounts; and
  • Identify major updates required to their accounting policies PS1202 and the conceptual framework.

Participants should come prepared for a working session. To get the full benefit of this session, each participant is asked to bring their municipality’s:
  • most recent audit financial statements in Word or Excel (or another format that can be edited)
  • accounting policy manual
  • budget
  • chart of accounts
  • trial balance roll up to the financial statements
Bailey Church, Partner, Accounting Advisory Services, KPMG (bio)
Dana Hassoun, Senior Manager, KPMG (bio)
S51EDWorkshop 3: Ethical Decision-Making in Municipal Finance: Balancing Accountability and Public Trust 1:00 PM5:00 PMPetunpetunroomTuesday, September 22, 2026In today’s complex municipal environment, finance officers face challenging ethical dilemmas that can impact public trust, organizational integrity, and financial accountability. This session will explore real-world scenarios where ethical decision-making is critical. Participants will gain practical insights into recognizing ethical risks, managing conflicts of interest, and making principled decisions under pressure. Through interactive discussions and case studies, attendees will learn strategies to strengthen ethical culture, uphold transparency, and enhance public confidence in their financial stewardship.Marc Tassé, Strategic Advisor on Governance, Ethics and Financial Crime, University of Ottawa (bio)
S111EDWorkshop 1: Plan, Monitor, Improve: Bringing Asset Management to Life 9:00 AM12:00 PMPetunpetunroomWednesday, September 23, 2026Since 2018, municipalities across Ontario have been aligning their asset management (AM) policies and plans with the requirements of O. Reg. 588/17. As this foundational work transitions into a new phase, organizations are now shifting toward ongoing plan monitoring, annual progress reporting, and continuous improvement of their asset management practices.

This session will explore what municipalities can expect in the coming years as they move from compliance-focused planning to more mature, service-driven asset management. Attendees will gain insight into evolving best practices, including approaches to strengthening data, systems, and governance to support more robust and defensible decision-making.

The session will also feature practical case studies highlighting effective methods for annual progress reporting and for structuring asset management plans with a clear line of sight to service outcomes. Participants will leave with actionable ideas to enhance their own programs and better align asset management with service delivery objectives.

Case studies include:
  1. Ottawa: Translating Financial Data for Service-Based AMPs - demonstrates how thoughtful process design and collaboration can overcome technical and organizational barriers.
    2.  
  2. Wellesley: Turning Asset Management Plans into Action Through Annual Progress Reporting - demonstrates how a practical annual reporting framework can be used to monitor AMP implementation, track levels of service, identify funding gaps, and support continuous improvement. 
1. Asset Management - Translating Financial Data for Service-Based AMPs - A Case Study (with Ottawa)

This case study demonstrates how thoughtful process design and collaboration can overcome technical and organizational barriers. 

Grounded in the development of the financial analysis section, this presentation offers a case study of the City of Ottawa’s approach to developing its Asset Management Plans (AMPs), highlighting the unique structure and collaborative processes that supported their creation. The City developed separate AMPs for each service area - of which there are twelve - intentionally designed to be clear, accessible, and easy to understand for the public.

This case study explores the challenges associated with the translation of the City’s financial data – originally structured by department for budgeting and accounting purposes – into a format meaningful for asset management planning that supports sustainable delivery of City services. This required overcoming data gaps, developing a standardized methodology, creating clear documentation for transparency and repeatability, and undertaking extensive coordination with subject matter experts across the City’s many departments.

What distinguishes Ottawa’s approach is not novelty, but thoughtful execution: collaboration and stakeholder engagement was embedded throughout the AMP development process, which fostered a sense of accountability and resulted in cross-departmental buy-in and ownership.

These efforts continue to help normalize asset management as part of everyday decision-making and organizational culture. While every municipality has its own context and challenges, the insights from Ottawa’s experience can support others in advancing their asset management programs.
2. Wellesley: Turning Asset Management Plans into Action Through Annual Progress Reporting
Wellesley: Turning Asset Management Plans into Action Through Annual Progress Reporting - demonstrates how a practical annual reporting framework can be used to monitor AMP implementation, track levels of service, identify funding gaps, and support continuous improvement. 		Peter Simcisko, Managing Partner, Watson & Associates Economists Ltd. (bio)
Ali Steele, Program Coordinator, Asset Management & Investment, Infrastructure & Water Services Department (IWSD), City of Ottawa (bio)
Jeff Dyck, Director of Corporate Services, Township of Wellesley (bio)
S121EDWorkshop 2: ERP Implementation - what you need to know 9:00 AM12:00 PMHuron Grand BallroomhuronballroomWednesday, September 23, 2026This workshop is designed to provide municipal staff with a practical hands-on approach of how to plan for an ERP implementation. Let’s talk about what to ask when considering a system upgrade.Kim Junko, Treasurer, City of Dryden (bio)
Trilbee Stirling-Kattler, Treasurer, Municipality of Red Lake (bio)
Christine Leon, Consultant, MFOA (bio)
S171EDUpdates Session - Plenary 1:00 PM4:00 PMHuron Grand BallroomhuronballroomWednesday, September 23, 2026Hear the latest and greatest updates pertaining to the topics of significant interest to municipal finance officers. Speakers will provide updates of key changes that occurred earlier in 2026, as well as current developments, and what's coming down the pipe in the near future. Don't miss this one-stop session for your sector-relevant updates!

AMO
Data over Noise: Research Insights into Ontario’s Municipal Infrastructure Challenge
This presentation delivers core insights from AMO’s latest research on the long-term costs of maintaining and growing Ontario’s municipal capital assets. Learn about our debt-carrying capacity, the limits of reserves reliance and the true financial scale of Ontario’s infrastructure challenge.

Ministry of Infrastructure

Ministry of Finance

PSAB

Building Ontario Fund

MMAH
Michael A. Puskaric, Director, Public Sector Accounting, PSAB - Public Sector Accounting Board (bio)
Karen Nesbitt, Director of Policy and Government Relations, Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) (bio)
Taylor Putnam, Head Policy, Strategy, and Partnerships, Building Ontario Fund. (bio)
Ian Freeman, Assistant Deputy Minister, Provincial Local Finance Division, Ministry of Finance (bio)
Ruchi Parkash, Director, Municipal Finance Policy Branch, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (bio)
Arthur Churchyard, Team Lead - Housing Enabling Program Delivery Unit, Ministry of Infrastructure (bio)
Shameez Rabdi, Director, Agency Policy & Accountability Branch, Transit Oriented Communities and Agency Oversight Division, Ministry of Infrastructure (bio)
S291OTConference Opening Remarks 8:30 AM8:45 AMHuron Grand BallroomhuronballroomThursday, September 24, 2026  
S301OTMFOA's Awards Presentation 8:45 AM9:15 AMHuron Grand BallroomhuronballroomThursday, September 24, 2026  
S311EDOpening Keynote: Getting Big Things Done On Budget and On Time 9:30 AM10:30 AMHuron Grand BallroomhuronballroomThursday, September 24, 2026The world’s largest database on major projects — with over 16,000 projects in more than 20 different project categories — revealed that fewer than half of projects (47.9%) finish on budget. Fewer than one in ten (8.5%) are completed on budget and on time. And a nearly invisible 0.5% of all projects are completed on budget, on time, and with the expected benefits. Worse, projects aren’t merely at risk of being a little off. Catastrophic failure is frighteningly common. Even home renovations can easily come in three or four times over budget. And the story is the same around the world. If projects are so important, why are we so bad at them? In this talk, Dan Gardner draws on his book How Big Things Get Done to look at why failure is so common and why a rare few projects are triumphs. The mind-expanding lessons about how we conceive, plan, and deliver major projects apply to projects of every imaginable variety, at every scale, from home renovations to space exploration.

Sponsored by: OECM (Ontario Education Collaborative Marketplace)		Dan Gardner, Risk Management, Forecasting, and Big Projects, Award-winning Journalist, Bestselling Author (bio)
S341OTDiscussion Forum A - Population 1-10,000 (in-person only) 11:00 AM11:45 AMNipissingnipissingThursday, September 24, 2026What Keeps you Up at Night? Collaborate, discuss and engage in meaningful discourse with other similar-sized municipalities. The agenda topics are developed by the questions, topics and/or concerns that you provide to us upon registration. 
S351OTDiscussion Forum B - Population 10,000-50,000 (in-person only) 11:00 AM11:45 AMSliver CreeksilvercreekThursday, September 24, 2026What Keeps you Up at Night? Collaborate, discuss and engage in meaningful discourse with other similar-sized municipalities. The agenda topics are developed by the questions, topics and/or concerns that you provide to us upon registration. 
S361OTDiscussion Forum C - Population 50,000-150,000 (in-person only) 11:00 AM11:45 AMPetunpetunroomThursday, September 24, 2026What Keeps you Up at Night? Collaborate, discuss and engage in meaningful discourse with other similar-sized municipalities. The agenda topics are developed by the questions, topics and/or concerns that you provide to us upon registration. 
S701OTDiscussion Forum D - Population 150,000+ (in-person only) 11:00 AM11:45 AMHuron Grand BallroomhuronballroomThursday, September 24, 2026What Keeps you Up at Night? Collaborate, discuss and engage in meaningful discourse with other similar-sized municipalities. The agenda topics are developed by the questions, topics and/or concerns that you provide to us upon registration. 
S381EDConcurrent Session A: From Approved Plan to Funded Reality: Making Asset Management Actionable Through Budget and Forecast 1:15 PM2:15 PMHuron Grand BallroomhuronballroomThursday, September 24, 2026Most municipalities have the plan. Few have a clear path to funding it.

Municipalities have made significant progress developing asset management plans, yet turning those plans into funded, actionable budgets remains a challenge. In this session, attendees will learn how to bridge that gap, seeing how asset management data, financial modeling, and budgeting tools work together to support long-term financial planning, capital prioritization, and sound decision-making.

This session focuses on actionable budgeting approaches that help finance officers make real funding decisions. Using real-world examples from modern budget and asset management systems, participants will leave with practical strategies they can apply immediately to translate asset plans into funded reality.

Learning Objectives:
  • Build financial models that link asset data to capital budgeting and long-term forecasts
  • Align asset plans with reserves, treasury systems, and cash flow for sustainable funding
  • Integrate operations and capital construction into unified budget processes that support decision-making
Tyler Harding, Financial Advisory Services Consultant, PSD Citywide Inc. (bio)
S391EDConcurrent Session B: Tools and Services for Municipal Decision-Making 1:15 PM2:15 PMSilver CreeksilvercreekThursday, September 24, 2026Join MPAC for a practical look at how assessment supports municipal finance, planning, and decision-making. Learn how municipalities can use MPAC’s data, tools, and services including current and emerging offerings – to support revenue management and analysis.

You’ll also get a brief overview of MPAC’s Foundations of Assessment and Municipal Essentials (FAME) course, including a sample module.		Jamie Bishop, Chief Customer Officer, Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) (bio)
Lynne Cunningham, Regional Manager Municipal & Stakeholder Relations, Public Affairs and Employee Experience, Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) (bio)
S401EDConcurrent Session C: How do Ontario's Municipalities Compare? A Review of FIRs 1:15 PM2:15 PMGeorgian Bay BallroomgeorgianbayThursday, September 24, 2026The Financial Information Return is one of the most comprehensive, though underutilized tools available for municipal finance professionals. Using cross-sectional FIR data, municipalities from across Ontario are analyzed to develop insights on trends in revenue, spending, and administration. Benchmarks for various sizes of municipalities, and visuals from the data, are created and presented. Practical implications are directed to understanding comparative municipal spending patterns, such that municipalities may identify potential areas of comparative efficiency or opportunity.Andrew K Ault, Director of Finance, City of Elliot Lake (bio)
S411EDConcurrent Session D: Transforming Property Tax Planning with OPTA’s Projections Module 1:15 PM2:15 PMNipissingnipissingThursday, September 24, 2026This presentation will demonstrate how OPTA’s Property Tax Projections Module enables municipalities to make informed, data-driven decisions about property tax policy and planning. The session will highlight the module’s powerful features, including the ability to simulate levy changes, estimate additional revenue from assessment growth, model alternative tax ratio scenarios, and analyze projected tax impacts. Participants will also explore the module’s comprehensive reporting capabilities, which include summary reports, property-level reports, tax rate reports, and tax ratio reports, providing detailed insights for analysis and effective communication. The session will feature an introduction to OPTA and the Projections Module, live demonstrations of key functionalities, an overview of reporting tools and real-world applications, and conclude with an interactive Q&A and discussion. Jennifer Cull, Senior QA Analyst, Reamined Systems Inc. (bio)
S741EDConcurrent Session E: Budget Engagement - Designing a Budget Public Engagement Framework: A Municipal Case Study- Town of Stouffville 1:15 PM2:15 PMPetunpetunroomThursday, September 24, 2026This session presents a municipal finance case study on how the Town of Stouffville designed and implemented its first formal budget public engagement process. Marina Fung will share the practical steps, challenges, and outcomes of building an engagement framework embedded within the budget cycle, resulting in a 400% increase in participation and more than 1,000 resident comments. Participants will gain actionable insights into designing, measuring, and sustaining effective budget engagement within real-world municipal constraints.Marina Fung, CFO/Treasurer, Township of King (bio)
Andrijana Mojsoska, Manager of Budgets and Financial Planning, Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville (bio)
S431EDConcurrent Session F: Exploring Reassessment: Rebuilding our Knowledge Base 2:45 PM3:45 PMSilver CreeksilvercreekThursday, September 24, 2026Reassessment is not new but for many municipal finance professionals and elected officials, it might as well be.

It has essentially been a decade since Ontario’s last valuation update and for a growing proportion of those working within the system, reassessment is no longer a lived administrative experience; but something relegated to history and theory.

This session will revisit the fundamentals of reassessment. Not because the mechanics have changed, but because the people, context, and risks have. Participants will be re-grounded in how reassessment works, how it differs from other system forces, and why those distinctions matter even when an actual market update may seem distant.

The session will also examine the degree to which the prolonged pause has reshaped the property tax system itself. Ontario's legislative framework was built to facilitate, manage, and respond to reassessment and changing values…a system Ontario no longer has. Many of the mechanisms that once gave effect to current value updates are now legislative artifacts with little practical application. Equally important, the policy infrastructure needed to govern a static system does not exist. We will discuss the implications of these critical systemic disconnects.

Throughout, particular attention will be given to the challenges created by declining institutional memory, including the risk that reassessment is increasingly viewed as an unfamiliar and disruptive event rather than a routine component of property tax administration.

With municipal elections approaching, incoming council briefings will offer a timely opportunity to build the informed, practical understanding that effective oversight of the property tax system requires.

Core Themes
  • Reassessment fundamentals: what it does, what it does not do, and how it differs from other forces acting on the tax bill
  • How the prolonged pause has reshaped the system: from working mechanisms to legislative artifacts
  • Governing in the gap: what the static system lacks in policy infrastructure and administrative tools
  • Declining institutional memory and the risk of treating reassessment as disruption rather than routine administration
  • The knowledge gap as policy barrier: how unfamiliarity shapes political resistance to reassessment and how we can minimize this with incoming councils.
Peter Frise, Principal, Frise Policy & Finance Inc. (bio)
S441EDConcurrent Session G: AI Relief, Not Revolution: What’s Sinking AI Initiatives in Local Government 2:45 PM3:45 PMGeorgian Bay BallroomgeorgianbayThursday, September 24, 2026AI adoption can look smooth on the surface, whether through structured rollouts or informal experimentation across teams. But for many local governments across Canada, the bigger challenge is not access to AI. It is the lack of shared AI fluency, clear coordination, and a practical path forward.

When AI use is fragmented or misaligned, organizations can face misuse, compliance risk, data retention concerns, and stalled progress.

In this session, we will explore how to build a more cohesive and practical approach to AI, one that supports day-to-day work, reduces confusion, and helps organizations move forward without adding complexity or requiring large-scale transformation.		Andrew Wilgar, Cofounder, GovAI (bio)
S451EDConcurrent Session H: The Modern Municipal Finance Office: A Live Look at What's Possible 2:45 PM3:45 PMPetunpetunroomThursday, September 24, 2026If your finance team is still spending mornings on bank reconciliations, chasing invoice approvals by email, or assembling budget spreadsheets from a dozen departments, this session is worth your time. We will spend 50 minutes in a live system showing what municipal finance looks like when the software is actually built for the job. No slides, no screenshots from a brochure. Real screens, real processes, running today at municipalities across Canada.

What You Will See:
  • Budget and commitment tracking built directly into the Chart of Accounts, updated in real time with no report required
  • An invoice processed from email to posted payment with no manual data entry, using OCR capture and automated workflow approval
  • A bank reconciliation completed in minutes using automated matching, with staff reviewing exceptions only
  • Budget prep that works with Excel for department heads, runs through a structured approval, and posts directly to purchasing controls once approved
  • Property tax assessments imported and validated automatically, with tax notices generated and delivered in a single batch by email or print
  • Power BI dashboards that give council and management live financial insight without waiting for IT to build a report
Gerry Grant, Sales Engineer, SylogistGov (bio)
S461EDConcurrent Session I: Trust Through Transparency: Building Confidence Across the Budget Cycle 2:45 PM3:45 PMHuron Grand BallroomhuronballroomThursday, September 24, 2026Trust in government is not achieved in a single report. It is built and rebuilt throughout the budget cycle, from planning to reporting and beyond. This, however, is difficult to do with disconnected, manual processes that leave risk for inaccurate data entry, slow processes, and in turn, results that hinder public confidence.  In today’s environment of economic uncertainty, compliance requirements, and rising community expectations, transparency is the bridge to building and sustaining that trust.  In this session, we will explore how moving to a digital budget management process creates efficiency for finance teams and clarity for stakeholders, while strengthening confidence at every stage of the cycle.Paul Rabeau, Manager, Customer Success, Euna Solutions (bio)
Stephen Cook, Euna Solutions, Senior Account Executive (bio)
Ryan Jones, Budget & Performance Analyst, Municipality of Chatham-Kent (bio)
S751EDConcurrent Session J: Unlocking Housing Supply: Lessons from Municipal Vacant Unit Tax Implementation 2:45 PM3:45 PMNipissingnipissingThursday, September 24, 2026Municipalities are increasingly turning to Vacant Unit Taxes (VUT) as both a policy tool to address housing supply and a new revenue source for affordable housing. This session shares real-world insights from the implementation of Hamilton’s VUT program, including strong compliance rates, behavioural shifts in property use, and early evidence of increased housing availability, in the current reality of limited new construction. Attendees will learn how data-driven program design, operational improvements, and strategic policy considerations can support both service delivery and housing outcomes, while navigating legislative constraints and evolving municipal priorities.Clayton Pereira, Director, Revenue Services, Revenue Services Division, Corporate Services, City of Hamilton (bio)
Andrew Wilkes, Manager, Vacant Unit Tax & Revenue, City of Hamilton (bio)
S541OTConference Opening Remarks 8:30 AM8:45 AMHuron Grand BallroomhuronballroomFriday, September 25, 2026  
S551EDEconomic Update 8:45 AM9:45 AMHuron Grand BallroomhuronballroomFriday, September 25, 2026This presentation will focus on what municipalities can expect the economic backdrop to look like over the coming years. Topics will include a review of key global themes such as artificial intelligence, tariffs and the changing geopolitical order, alongside the outlook for the Canadian labour market, inflation, interest rates, housing, immigration and productivity.

Sponsored by: RBC Global Asset Management Inc. PH&N Institutional		Eric Lascelles, Managing Director & Chief Economist, RBC Global Asset Management Inc.  (bio)
S561EDConcurrent Session K: AMCTO Presents: Strong Mayor Powers Usage Following Expansion 9:50 AM10:50 AMSilver CreeksilvercreekFriday, September 25, 2026Following the expansion of strong mayor powers to an additional 169 municipalities in April 2025, AMCTO conducted a detailed survey to understand how heads of council were using the new authorities. The session will outline the results of the survey and provide provincial wide analysis of the impacts of strong mayor powers on municipal administrations.David Arbuckle, Executive Director, Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario (AMCTO) (bio)
S571EDConcurrent Session L: Update On Recent Legal Decisions Impacting Municipalities 9:50 AM10:50 AMPetunpetunroomFriday, September 25, 2026An update of recent legal decisions that affect the municipal sector.Heather Douglas, Partner, WeirFoulds LLP (bio)
Jeff Cowan, Partner, WeirFoulds LLP (bio)
S581EDConcurrent Session M: Beyond the Spreadsheet: How Finance Officers can Build Trust with New Councils from Day One 9:50 AM10:50 AMGeorgian Bay BallroomgeorgianbayFriday, September 25, 2026With a municipal election on the horizon, municipal finance officers face a familiar challenge: helping a newly elected council understand the municipality’s financial landscape quickly, confidently and clearly. This high level, one hour session is designed to support finance leaders in communicating complex budget information in a way that builds trust, strengthens relationships and sets the stage for productive decision making.

Through practical tips and strategies and lots of examples, participants will learn how to translate technical material into plain languag without losing meaning and craft presentations that resonate with new council members and help you build credibility from the outset. We will explore structuring messages for clarity, responding to tough questions, and creating a positive early tone with elected officials. By the end of the session, participants will leave with:
  • Techniques for explaining key budget concepts and complex technical information in clear, relatable terms
  • Tips for delivering confident, engaging presentations
  • Strategies for building strong, trust based relationships with elected officials from day one
Andrea Montgomery, Vice President, Redbrick Communications (bio)
Farah Tayabali, Vice President, Redbrick Communications (bio)
S591EDConcurrent Session N: WILMA: Transforming Satellite Imagery into AI-Powered Municipal Financial Intelligence 9:50 AM10:50 AMNipissingnipissingFriday, September 25, 2026Municipalities are increasingly being asked to do more with less while ensuring regulatory compliance, protecting the tax base, and responding to rapid growth and land-use change. As communities grow and development pressures increase, municipalities need more proactive and data-driven tools to support decision-making and service delivery.

This session explores how the Town of Whitby developed WILMA (Whitby Intelligent Land Management Assistant), a municipal geospatial AI platform that transforms satellite imagery into actionable financial and regulatory intelligence. By combining artificial intelligence, satellite data, tax assessment information, permitting records, and zoning data, WILMA automatically detects land-use changes, identifies potential tax reassessment opportunities, and flags properties that may require regulatory review or field verification.

Attendees will learn how a scalable geospatial intelligence framework can help municipalities uncover unreported development activity, prioritize compliance efforts, and improve operational efficiency. The session will also highlight lessons learned from implementation, the challenges of real-world deployment, and future opportunities to enhance municipal decision-making through emerging AI and earth observation technologies.		Raymond Law, Deputy Treasurer, Town of Whitby (bio)
S761EDConcurrent Session O: Continuous Improvement in Action: Optimize and Transform Your Finance Department 9:50 AM10:50 AMHuron Grand BallroomhuronballroomFriday, September 25, 2026This session will explore how continuous improvement methodologies and Lean Six Sigma principles can be strategically applied to modernize and transform municipal Finance departments. Drawing on extensive experience working with municipalities of varying sizes, we will identify recurring inefficiencies and operational pain points that hinder effectiveness and service delivery. Participants will gain practical insights and actionable strategies to address these challenges independently after the session. We will also examine the critical interplay between financial policies and day-to-day operations, illustrating how policy decisions can either enable or constrain organizational performance. Our approach blends proven theoretical frameworks with real-world case studies, offering attendees a fresh lens through which to evaluate their processes. By the end of the session, participants will be equipped to rethink workflows, enhance efficiency, and foster a culture of continuous improvement within their organizations.Chas Anselmo, Executive Director, KPMG (bio)
Rob Clayton, Partner, KPMG (bio)
S611EDConcurrent Session P: Investment Strategies to Meet Our Financial Planning Goals 11:15 AM12:15 PMNipissingnipissingFriday, September 25, 2026Financial planning is one of the cornerstones of Municipal finance, and our investment strategy and returns play a huge role in our planning outcomes. Join the Geoffrey Pennal Advisory Group and KPMG as we map out how to link your financial plan to a robust investment strategy. In our session we will explore this as well as the interest rate environment and investment strategies we can utilize to manage it. In addition we will touch on how to communicate investment performance to stakeholders, as well as techniques and metrics to compare our organization to our municipal peers.Geoffrey Pennal, Senior Portfolio Manager, Senior Wealth Advisor, CIBC Wood Gundy (bio)
Matt Wallace, MBA, Executive Director, CIBC Capital Markets (bio)
Joseph Marand, MBA, Director, Wealth Solutions Group, CIBC Capital Markets (bio)
Suk Bedi, Senior Director, Risk Services, KPMG (bio)
S621EDConcurrent Session Q: Productivity & Technology Unlocked: Norfolk County’s Path from Underused to Maximized 11:15 AM12:15 PMSilver CreeksilvercreekFriday, September 25, 2026Many Ontario public-sector finance professionals are stuck in the daily grind. Rising workloads, tighter deadlines, and ongoing staffing and retention challenges leave little room for strategic work. Often, the biggest opportunity for improvement is already within reach: underused technology and outdated processes.

In this session, we’ll explore how assessing and optimizing the systems you already have can unlock significant productivity gains. Drawing on Norfolk County’s ERP assessment project, we’ll share practical insights into how they transformed their approach—and the measurable benefits that followed.		Dustin Ide, Solutions Advisor, F.H. Black & Company Incorporated (bio)
Amy Fanning, Treasurer & Director of Financial Management and Planning, Corporation of Norfolk County (bio)
S631EDConcurrent Session R: Hot Issues in Provincial-Municipal Relations 11:15 AM12:15 PMPetunpetunroomFriday, September 25, 2026She's back. There is never a dull moment in Ontario Municipal Affairs and StrategyCorp's Sabine Matheson is here to make sense of the silly season. Drawing from StrategyCorp’s 10th Survey of CAOs and first ever Survey of Municipal Elected Leaders, Sabine will comment on current issues and their impact of municipal financial professionals, including:
  • Top issues on the minds of Municipal leaders
  • Provincial priorities or local needs: what gets funded, and who will make the choices?
  • Bill 100 and Governance changes ahead
  • MSC, DCs, and other acronyms only a municipal person could love…
Sabine Matheson, Principal, StrategyCorp (bio)
S641EDConcurrent Session S: NPN Presents: Aligning Capital Reserves and Reserve Funds to your Asset Management Plan 11:15 AM12:15 PMHuron Grand BallroomhuronballroomFriday, September 25, 2026The 2025 Asset Management Plan update for municipalities included a requirement to establish a proposed level of services for replacement of capital assets, along with a long-term financial plan to achieve that service level. Historically, capital replacement reserves and reserve funds are established for various reasons and are not necessarily in alignment with AMP categories.

In 2025, the County of Haldimand embarked on a process to realign its existing capital replacement reserves with the AMP. Challenges included:
  • Applying the methodology of the long-term financial plan to existing capital projects
  • Determining the amounts to be transferred from the existing reserve fund system to the new categories
  • Determining the approach for future reserve fund contributions from the capital levy
  • Buy-in from project managers, senior management and council

Join Cliff Burke, Senior Financial Analyst at the County of Haldimand for a walkthrough of the development, implementation and impacts of this process. Categories that apply to the session topic:
  • Budgeting, Revenue Sources
  • Long Term Financial Planning, Asset Management
Cliff Burke, Senior Financial Analyst of Taxation & Revenue, County of Haldimand (bio)
S771EDConcurrent Session T: Development Charges: Another Year, Another New Landscape. 11:15 AM12:15 PMGeorgian Bay BallroomgeorgianbayFriday, September 25, 2026Ontario’s DC framework continues to change at breakneck speed, with new legislation, funding programs, and policy proposals reshaping how growth-related infrastructure is paid for. Building on last year’s conference session, this presentation will examine the most significant developments of the past 12 months, how municipalities are responding, and what municipal finance officers should be preparing for next.

This year’s format will be more presentation than fireside chat, combining practical insights, real-world examples, and plenty of opportunity for audience discussion and questions.
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Topics Covered:
  1. Where do things stand with the Development Charge Reduction Program (DCRP)?
  2. For municipalities participating in the DCRP:
    • How do you manage capital programs over the next three years with reduced DC revenues?
    • How should you prepare for updating DC rates in 2029?
  3. What options remain for municipalities that did not receive DCRP funding—or chose not to participate?
  4. What effect have the new Local Service Policy provisions had on DC practices?
  5. As statutory and discretionary exemptions continue to expand, is there an emerging consensus on how municipalities should fund the resulting revenue losses?
  6. What do newly elected councils need to understand about DCs and growth funding?
  7. With the Federal Government increasingly funding municipal infrastructure in exchange for DC reductions, what lessons can Ontario learn from other provinces?
  8. What would happen if water and wastewater services were removed as DC-eligible services? What realistic alternatives exist to fund this infrastructure?
  9. With increasing political and media scrutiny of DCs, is the current push to reduce DCs a short-term policy shift or a permanent change in direction?
  10. What’s next? Legislative, regulatory, and policy changes to watch over the coming year.
  11. What role should municipal finance officers play in shaping the next generation of DC policy?
Craig Binning, Managing Partner, Hemson Consulting (bio)
Stefan Krzeczunowicz, Partner, Hemson (bio)
S531EDClosing Keynote: Crazy Busy - Comedic Relief to Find Immediate Balance in a Fast-Paced World 12:25 PM1:20 PMHuron Grand BallroomhuronballroomFriday, September 25, 2026Do your days often feel overwhelming? Does your life resemble a three-ring circus? If so, you’re not alone. Many of us get trapped in patterns of self-made busyness to avoid uncertainty. We fill our day with menial tasks to avoid doing the important ones. When your busyness is tied to your worthiness, it’s hard not to take yourself seriously at work.

Join Jody in this comedic adventure to expose the busyness patterns that overwhelm you and others. Together we will beat back busyness once and for all when you discover that you are not the problem, you are the solution.
You Will Learn: 3 Signs you're Working Harder, Not Smarter; Uncover Personal Patterns that Diminish your Productivity; 4 Time and Energy Drainers When Working from Home; To Take Yourself Lightly and Sustain Balance; Know Why you do Things the Hard Way.		Jody Urquhart, Burnout Prevention, Health and Wellness and Healthcare Expert (bio)
 

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