Ontario. Dept. of Municipal Affairs

• Department of Municipal Affairs

The Department of Municipal Affairs was established in 1934. The Act establishing the Department, however, was not passed until 1935. The Department inherited the municipal administrative and regulatory functions which had briefly been the responsibility of the Ontario Municipal Board.

From 1947 until 1955, the Minister of Municipal Affairs acted as the Registrar General, and the Office of the Registrar General was attached to the Department. This office was transferred to the Department of the Provincial Secretary in 1955.

The administrative and operational functions of the Department began to be formed into branches by the mid- 1950's. In 1955, the Municipal Administration Branch (which was re- named the Municipal Organization and Administration Branch in 1963), the Municipal Assessment Branch (which was re-named the Municipal Assessment Division in 1970), and a Municipal Auditing and Accounting Branch (which was re-named the Municipal Accounts Branch in 1964) were all established. By the late 1960's both a Municipal Subsidies Branch and a Municipal Research Branch were also created.

In 1960, the Community Planning Branch, formerly with the Department of Planning and Development, was transferred to the Department of Municipal Affairs.

The administrative functions of the Department were also established into branches by the early 1960's, with the creation of a Law Branch, Accounts Branch and an Operations Branch (later named the Administrative Services Branch).

Regional Offices were established by 1966, along with Area and Regional Assessment Offices by 1970.

In 1970, the various branches of the Department were organized into two main divisions - the Finance and Administration Division and the Assessment Division.

The Department of Municipal Affairs was dissolved on 1 April 1 1972 , with most of the Department's functions being transferred to the new Ministry of Treasury, Economics and Inter-governmental Affairs, but with the Assessment Division being relocated within the Ministry of Revenue. In 1981, the municipal affairs functions of the government were amalgamated with the Ministry of Housing to form the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

The Department of Municipal Affairs was initially responsible for supervising the affairs of the municipalities whose real property tax-revenue base had collapsed during the Depression. After WWII, however, the Department became more involved in the provision of administrative and financial advice and support to municipalities.

Department of Municipal Affairs Act, Statutes of Ontario 1935, Chap. 16

Activities of the Department included: prescribing and regulating municipal accounting methods and practices regarding taxation and expenditure; supervising the system of municipal auditing; receiving annual municipal returns; reporting and advising on municipal administration and organisation; assisting and advising municipalities on community development and land use planning, including zoning by-laws, subdivisions, urban renewal, and maintenance and occupancy by-laws; and providing financial assistance to municipalities through grant, subsidy and loan programs. The Department was also responsible for meeting the housing needs of low and moderate income families in Ontario.

RAD: Rules for Archival Description, 2nd edn (2008)

2026-11-16: migrated to AtoM

Canadiana Name Authorities, 1996-12- 24

Archivist(s):
Clarkson