The Ties That Bind? Exploring the Dynamics of Intermunicipal Agreement Formation between Separated Cities and Counties.

City-county separation was the original method of organizing municipalities in the province of Ontario. When an urban area of a county became classified as a city, it would be politically separated. The province has moved toward regional structures that link urban and rural since the 1950s, but we still know very little about the 18 cities and towns that remain separated from their counties. This article examines the principal method of compensating for institutional gaps between municipalities: the creation of intermunicipal agreements. Overall, it is found that separated cities and counties are scarcely using intermunicipal agreements to ensure service and policy continuity. It is argued that this is principally due to provincial interference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]