Alan Wells   Chief Administrative Officer

Success Through Partnerships

York Region experienced a truly remarkable year in 1999, with over 40,000 new residents joining our unique mix of rural and urban lifestyles.  As a Regional Municipality, we also experienced a banner year by achieving several significant milestones that kept us at the forefront of public administration in Canada.

Our many achievements, however, would not have been possible without the vibrant and attractive communities managed by our nine member municipal partners. Our communities certainly are the Region's strength.

A Commitment to Fiscal Responsibility

Our sound fiscal policies have once again been rewarded with strong credit ratings from both Moody's in New York and the Canadian Bond Rating Service. Both agencies gave us top marks in 1999. In fact, our credit ratings are better than those given the federal and provincial governments. 

Successful Transfers

Two of our most significant accomplishments involved program transfers related to the Provincial Offences Court and the delivery of land ambulance service. We were one of the first municipalities in Ontario – and the largest one – to assume responsibility of administering the Provincial Offences Court. As well, a great deal of work took place in 1999 in preparation of the transfer of land ambulance services in York Region on January 1, 2000. 

In both cases, the provincial government praised our management of the transfers as models for others to follow. 

A New Approach to Budgets

Another important milestone for us involved changing the way we handled financial planning. We changed over from traditional annual budgets to multi-year, service-based business plans, as recommended by our Multi-Year Corporate Plan (MYCP). For the first time, we introduced budgetary information to Council in the form of a business plan, complete with objectives, work initiatives and performance indicators. 

Putting People First

Other significant accomplishments involved exciting new initiatives in human resource management, including the first-ever employee survey and an aggressive new employee training program. These initiatives followed in the spirit of our corporate Mission Statement, which clearly identifies staff as our most important resource.

Another example of putting people first was the launch of the Human Services Strategy to ensure that the essential human services required by our citizens keep pace with growth.

Commitment to Customer Service

We continue to place a very high value on customer service as our programs and services increase in scope and complexity. From the creation of a new information Kiosk at the Administrative Centre to our annual employee awards program, we will continue to emphasize the importance of customer service. 

Only a short time ago, York Region was a $300 million corporation. Now, due to the realignment of responsibilities, we have grown into an $817 million corporation, operating even more essential municipal services, such as ambulances.

Our mandate is to operate these services in a fiscally responsible manner, with a clear vision of the future direction of service delivery. As we enter the new century, we will continue fulfilling this important mandate and maintain York Region's position as "Ontario's Rising Star". 

Yours sincerely,


Alan P. Wells
Chief Administrative Officer