Intergovernmental relations are critical to advance and secure the City's funding, policy and legislative priorities. All City divisions engage in a range of informal intergovernmental activities, and this work will be enriched through the strategic approach of the Intergovernmental Relations Action Plan.
Download the Intergovernmental Relations Action Plan
Advocacy Priorities
The Citizen Satisfaction Survey findings identified that some of the most important issues facing Owen Sound today require a concerted, community-wide response and are not the sole purview of one organization or level of government.
It is most effective for municipalities to speak with a united voice on many issues. When advantageous, Owen Sound partners with other municipalities to advance a common agenda with the other levels of government. The City partners with multiple associations to support common priorities, including:
- Rural Ontario Municipal Association Advocacy | Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA)
- Association for the Municipalities of Ontario Advocacy | AMO
- Association of Municipal Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario Advocacy & Policy | AMCTO
- Western Ontario Warden’s Caucus https://wowc.ca/priorities/
The City's advocacy priorities are:
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Social: Affordable Housing, Cost of Living, Homelessness, Physician Recruitment, Health, Public Health, Mental Health, COVID-19, and Climate Action |
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Official Plan - Discussion Paper Housing & Affordability City's Climate Action Strategy building out Mitigation Plan Climate Action Strategy | Owen Sound Owen Sound recognized as a Tree City of the World, one of only 15 in Canada |
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Funding: Escalating municipal government liability and insurance costs, Sustainable funding to offset the true cost of providing court security, Stable funding for municipalities, and Awarding of grants that align with the municipal budget process and the provision of longer timelines to complete construction work |
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Pre-Budget Submissions by AMO and AMCTO Municipal Government Priorities for the 2022 Provincial Election. All Parties Support for West Grey Resolution – Municipal Insurance Rates |
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Economic Development: Employment and workforce development and the Development of a Regional Comprehensive Transportation Plan for Georgian Bay and the Bruce Peninsula |
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Provincial Plan – Connecting the Southwest Grey County Investment Attraction Strategy Guelph Owen Sound transportation Schedule Changes to better connect visitors to Owen Sound |
Core Activities
The Intergovernmental Relations Action Plan provides a comprehensive approach for improving the coordination and effectiveness of the City’s intergovernmental relations efforts, while building the relationships and partnerships necessary to influence policies and decisions. The core activities of the Action Plan focus on ACE: Advocacy, Collaboration and Education.
- Advocacy for policy and issue-specific priorities and needs.
- Collaboration with local and regional partners and municipal networks to build broad support for addressing issues and creating change.
- Education for policy makers in issues, needs, and community impacts of government policy and programs.
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