Municipal services for stronger, future-ready communities

Public confidence depends on transparent, reliable and timely financial reporting. KPMG provides independent audit and assurance services tailored to the municipal environment, helping local governments meet reporting requirements, support public accountability and provide meaningful insight to management, Audit Committees and Council.

Our approach combines deep municipal sector experience, standardized methodologies and advanced technology platforms to deliver high-quality, insightful audits.

What we deliver:

• Financial statement audits
• Audit planning and audit findings reports
• Program-specific audits and reviews of historical financial information
• Attestation engagements related to funding agreements, regulations and compliance requirements
• Financial reporting, governance and process improvement insights

Outcomes for municipalities:

• Greater public trust and accountability
• Confidence in financial reporting and compliance
• Insight into financial reporting processes and controls
• Access to public-sector audit experience and municipal leading practices

With one of the largest municipal audit footprints in Canada, KPMG brings a proven, municipality-ready approach grounded in partner-led engagement, open communication and a no-surprises philosophy. Our national public sector network and specialized municipal bench strength help municipalities benefit from consistent quality, timely delivery and leading practices informed by comparable engagements across the country.

Municipal planning, building and development approval processes are under increasing pressure to move faster, support housing supply, improve transparency and deliver better customer experiences. KPMG helps municipalities modernize these services by redesigning operating models, regulatory processes, workflows, tools, fee models and performance measures.

We work with planning, building, engineering and development teams to cut through complexity, reduce delays and build more integrated, client-centred approval processes.

What we deliver:

• Development approval and permitting process reviews
• Future-state operating model design
• Regulatory model and policy alignment
• Business process redesign
• Fee and cost recovery models
• Standard operating procedures, tools and templates
• Performance measurement and implementation roadmaps

Outcomes for municipalities:

• Reduced permitting and approval timelines
• Improved application quality and transparency
• More consistent service delivery
• Stronger cross-departmental coordination
• Better customer experience for applicants and residents
• Increased capacity to support housing and growth

KPMG brings together municipal depth, technical expertise and proven experience improving planning and development processes. Our multidisciplinary teams include business analysts, process experts, urban planners, data analysts and seasoned municipal consultants, supported by hands-on experience with Canadian municipalities and leading practices drawn from more than 50 global cities.

As Canada’s national leader in this space, we have helped more than 30 municipalities improve the performance of their planning and development services. We combine proven tools, including our permitting maturity model, with an engagement approach that builds shared understanding and creates a stronger foundation for change.

Municipalities are being asked to deliver more with constrained resources. KPMG helps local governments understand what services they provide, what those services cost, the value they create and where opportunities exist to improve efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability.

Our approach goes beyond cost-cutting. We help municipalities assess service value, prioritize investments, redesign delivery models and make evidence-based decisions that align service levels with community priorities and long-term financial capacity.

What we deliver:

• Comprehensive municipal service inventories
• Cost and value assessments
• Service prioritization and cost-versus-value analysis
• Benchmarking and peer comparison
• Delivery model options analysis
• Stakeholder-informed findings
• Transformation roadmaps and implementation plans

Outcomes for municipalities:

• Clearer visibility into service costs and value
• Stronger budget and prioritization decisions
• Practical opportunities to improve efficiency and service quality
• Better alignment between service levels, resources and community outcomes
• Increased confidence among Council, leadership, staff and the public

KPMG goes beyond traditional cost-cutting by helping municipalities assess both the cost and value of services across the full municipal portfolio. Using structured frameworks, including the Municipal Reference Model, we support evidence-based prioritization, transparent decision-making and practical implementation planning. Our reviews are informed by elected officials, management, staff and community input, and grounded in municipal experience from service reviews delivered across Canada.

Residents expect municipal services to be easy to access, responsive and connected. At the same time, municipal teams need modern tools, reliable data and integrated systems to work efficiently across departments.

KPMG helps municipalities modernize technology and service delivery through digital strategies, integrated service hubs, workflow automation, data and reporting capabilities, modern customer portals and fit-for-purpose technology operating models.

What we deliver:

• Digital and technology transformation strategies
• Smart city and integrated service hub design
• Citizen portal and customer experience modernization
• Workflow automation and service request management
• Data, dashboard and reporting capabilities
• Technology operating model and governance design
• Implementation planning and change enablement

Outcomes for municipalities:

• Improved resident and business experience
• More connected service delivery across departments
• Reduced manual work and administrative burden
• Better visibility into service requests, work orders and performance
• Stronger use of data to support decisions and improve services

Drawing on KPMG City Hub experience, we help municipalities improve the resident and employee experience through citizen self-service, connected service requests, better data visibility and more seamless coordination across functions. The result is a more modern, user-friendly service model that supports faster response, stronger insight and more efficient operations.

Public land is one of a municipality’s most important strategic assets. KPMG helps municipalities plan, structure and deliver complex land redevelopment initiatives that balance financial value, community benefit, infrastructure needs, risk management and public interest outcomes.

We support municipalities from early visioning and feasibility through procurement, transaction structuring, negotiations and implementation.

What we deliver:

• Land valuation and highest-and-best-use analysis
• Development visioning and stakeholder alignment
• Financial feasibility and pro forma analysis
• Procurement strategy and process support
• Partnership and delivery model assessment
• Transaction structuring and agreement negotiation
• Commercial, financial and risk advisory

Outcomes for municipalities:

• Clearer understanding of land value and development potential
• Better-informed decisions on acquisition, disposition and redevelopment
• Improved financial feasibility and affordability analysis
• Reduced commercial, delivery and partnership risk
• Stronger ability to unlock long-term value from public assets
• Redevelopment strategies that balance public benefit and market viability

KPMG provides end-to-end advisory support across the redevelopment lifecycle, from visioning and valuation through feasibility, procurement and implementation.

We bring together real estate, infrastructure, financial and commercial expertise with a strong public-sector lens to help municipalities balance market viability, community outcomes and public-interest objectives. Our approach supports transparent, defensible decision-making and risk-managed delivery that maximizes long-term value from public land assets.

Municipal capital programs are growing in scale, cost and complexity. Major infrastructure investments require strong governance, disciplined delivery, clear accountability, effective controls and transparent reporting to manage risk and deliver predictable outcomes.

KPMG helps municipalities strengthen capital project delivery performance across the project lifecycle, from strategy and business case development through governance, procurement, delivery, recovery and continuous improvement.

What we deliver:

• Capital project and program governance reviews
• Project delivery office design and implementation
• Portfolio and program management support
• Project controls, reporting and dashboard design
• Risk, issue and decision management frameworks
• Procurement and commercial strategy support
• Project recovery and stabilization support

Outcomes for municipalities:

• Stronger capital project oversight and accountability
• Improved cost, schedule and risk transparency
• Better alignment between capital plans and municipal priorities
• Clearer governance, roles and escalation paths
• Increased confidence in delivery performance
• More reliable, predictable capital program outcomes

KPMG helps municipalities improve capital project delivery by combining executive oversight, commercial discipline, integrated governance and robust project controls across the full lifecycle. Our approach is designed to reduce delivery risk, strengthen decision-making and improve transparency, giving municipal leaders greater confidence in the performance of complex infrastructure programs.

Municipalities are turning sustainability commitments into practical action. KPMG helps develop sustainability strategies, roadmaps and implementation plans that integrate climate action, circular economy principles, resource efficiency, equity, resilience and community well-being.

Our approach combines data analysis, benchmarking, stakeholder engagement and implementation planning to help municipalities move from ambition to measurable progress.

What we deliver:

• Sustainability strategies and roadmaps
• Strategic implementation plans
• Current-state and gap assessments
• Circular economy and waste mapping
• Benchmarking and leading practice reviews
• Stakeholder engagement programs
• Performance measurement and reporting frameworks
• Change stories and educational materials

Outcomes for municipalities:

• Clear sustainability vision, goals and priorities
• Practical actions aligned to municipal plans and climate targets
• Better integration across waste, water, transportation, energy and climate portfolios
• Stronger stakeholder support and public confidence
• Governance and reporting structures that support accountability
• Tangible environmental, social and economic benefits

KPMG brings together technical depth, engagement expertise and municipal experience to help cities turn sustainability ambition into practical action. Our approach combines analytics, stakeholder engagement and proven tools to move from vision to implementation. Drawing on our experience supporting some of Canada’s largest cities, we help develop actionable plans, governance models and performance measures that drive measurable environmental, social and economic outcomes.

Climate change, infrastructure disruptions and emergency events are increasing the need for municipalities to understand risk, strengthen preparedness and build resilience. KPMG helps local governments assess climate and hazard risks, modernize emergency management programs and prepare for response and recovery.

We support municipalities across the emergency management lifecycle—from resilience planning and preparedness to response, recovery and system transformation.

What we deliver:

• Climate and hazard risk assessments
• Climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction planning
• Emergency management program reviews
• Business continuity planning
• Training, exercises and simulations
• Emergency operations centre and surge capacity planning
• Evacuation, logistics and recovery planning
• Emergency management governance and operating model design
• Technology roadmap, AI and digital twin enablement

Outcomes for municipalities:

• Stronger understanding of climate and hazard exposure
• Improved emergency preparedness and response capability
• Better protection of critical infrastructure and essential services
• More resilient governance, operating models and decision-making
• Increased readiness for future disruption and recovery

KPMG helps municipalities strengthen resilience across the emergency management lifecycle, from climate and hazard risk assessment through preparedness, response, recovery and system transformation. Our approach combines emergency management, critical infrastructure resilience and operating model expertise to help local governments protect essential services, improve coordination and build readiness for future disruption.