Ontario Municipal Chief Administrative Officer Survey 2026

For 10 years, StrategyCorp has asked Ontario’s CAOs what is really happening inside local government. In 2026, their message is clear: the challenges aren’t new, but the intensity is.

Ontario’s CAOs are entering the next municipal term under greater pressure…and with less room for error.

Growth, infrastructure, housing, workforce capacity, affordability, and financial sustainability remain persistent challenges. But in 2026 they are colliding with rising costs, economic uncertainty, rapid provincial policy change, and an election that could reshape councils across Ontario.

This year’s CAO Survey finds municipal leaders confronting more of the same — only more so. Yet the story is not simply one of strain. CAOs remain pragmatic: strengthening their organizations, planning for uncertainty, and looking to the next council term as an opportunity to build stronger teams, better prepare elected officials, and establish a common direction early.

The 2026 Ontario Municipal Chief Administrative Officer Survey offers a candid look at what is on the minds of Ontario’s municipal leaders — and what their experience tells us about the four years ahead.

Download the full 2026 report.

For the past 10 years, StrategyCorp has conducted a wide-ranging survey of municipal Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs) from across Ontario to hear their views on the most pressing issues facing local governments today.