These are the priority areas of municipal responsibility identified by the Maytree Leadership Network:

Budget and Finances
Cities have lots of responsibilities and lots of expenditures, but they do not have matching revenue streams for what they are asked to deliver.

Transit
Public transit is increasingly being recognized as an essential service, but it faces a number of challenges, not least of which is its price tag.

Urban Places and Spaces
Good planning leads to a vibrant urban fabric, while poor planning leads to uninteresting design, soul-less and unhealthy communities.

Affordable housing
A safe and affordable place to live is every city resident’s right, but it is increasingly hard to ensure. Over 260,000 households in the GTA spend more than a third of their income on housing.

City Services
The city is responsible for the maintenance of streets, water mains, community centres and other core public infrastructure.

Civic Democracy
Civic participation in municipal politics is low, and permanent residents (who number a quarter of a million people in the City of Toronto) are excluded from even the most basic act of voting.

Diversity and Leadership
Despite the benefits and importance of diversity the region’s public leadership does not reflect the diversity of the population.