MW Site

• We Must Solve the Housing Crisis While Also Protecting the Environment
• LRT Vote - April 2024
• Dundurn Play Ground Update
• Cybersecurity Update
• Becket Dr Lighting Work (Queen St Hill) Scheduled For This Month
• Main St W(Ainslie Wood) Cycling Infrastructure Implementation & Upgrades
• HSR 150!
• Vacant Unit Tax Passed
• Greener Ward 1
• KNA Annual Compost Sale - Saturday, May 11th
• Events

The Province of Ontario and the Government of Canada are funding a 14-kilometre Hamilton Light Rail Transit (LRT) Project. Metrolinx is the provincial agency overseeing the project. Metrolinx indicated that they were open to input from the City of Hamilton regarding the role the City wanted to play in the LRT's operations. The final decision, however, rests with Metrolinx. Regardless, in all cases, Hamilton LRT will remain publicly owned.

City of Hamilton staff put forward several operating models for Council's consideration. I supported the staff recommendation, which called for the private operation of Hamilton LRT for a limited time. The purpose of this letter is to share why I took this position and to be accountable to Ward 1 residents for my vote.

• Cybersecurity Incident Update
• Resumption of Property Taxes Pre-Authorized Payment Plans
• Upcoming Ward 1 Community Meetings
• In case you missed it
  • People Over Parking
  • City of Hamilton 2024 Budget
• Strathcona & Kirkendall Neighbourhoods Complete Safe Streets Study
• Kirkendall Neighbourhood Association Annual General Meeting
• Citizen Recruitment to the New Public Health Sub-Committee
• Earth Day - Spring into Action for the Climate
• Don't Toss Those Eclipse Glasses!
• 2024/2025 Recycling and Waste Information Guide
• Stories of Migration and Belonging Digital Exhibit
• Hamilton Water Protective Plumbing Program
• Lights Out
• Festivals and Events Ontario Municipality of the Year
• Practice Proper Petiquette
• Events

Projects in Ward 1

This edition of the Ward 1 newsletter includes:

• Cybersecurity Incident
• Affordable Housing Stalled - Explaining 5 and 13 Lake Avenue South, Hamilton
• City of Hamilton 2024 Budget
• ICYMI - recent Ward 1 meeting videos
• 2024/25 Recycling and Waste Information Guide
• Strathcona and Kirkendall Neighbourhoods Complete Streets Safety Report
• Stories of Migration and Belonging Digital Exhibit
• Celebrate International Women's Day with HSR
• Hamilton Water Protective Plumbing Program
• Solar Eclipse Glasses
• Events

Hamilton City Council passed its 2024 operating budget on February 15 with a tax increase of 1.64% for essential city services and 1.6% for housing/homelessness services.

An additional tax impact of 2.55% comes from the Government of Ontario's shift of infrastructure costs from land use developers to existing local property taxpayers. Premier Ford has promised to "make municipalities whole" and permanently alleviate the impact of this provincial policy decision, but this has yet to occur. 

The local and provincial impacts meant an increase of 5.79% overall.

The budget leverages the City's strong financial position to manage affordability while responding to the rapid legislative changes and insufficient funding to pay for the impacts of Provincial policy.

You may have read or heard that half of Hamilton's City Councillors were blocking the City's efforts to allow for affordable housing on city-owned parking lots in downtown Stoney Creek, requiring the Mayor to use Strong Mayor Powers to resolve the impasse. These lots offer free parking, have been declared surplus for many years, and have been zoned for multi-residential use for 30 years.

To borrow from Edmund Burke, elected representatives, more than anything else, owe the public their judgement and not just their obedience to public opinion.  Citizens’ trust in government is frustrated when actions don’t match words.  

Any decision on housing affects everyone across the City.  Hamilton City Council unanimously declared a housing crisis in April 2023, followed by unanimous support for an action plan to bring focus and urgency to this crisis.  All of Council committed to action, not just words.

The action plan is called the Housing Sustainability and Investment Roadmap (HSIR). It is intended to be a "whole community" response, with the City of Hamilton partnering with community organisations to build affordable housing.

The sale or lease of surplus City-owned parking lots for a nominal price to not-for-profit housing corporations for affordable housing development is a tool available to municipalities and an identified action in the HSIR. The City and community partners can then use this land asset to leverage federal and provincial housing investments.

THIS EDITION OF THE WARD 1 NEWSLETTER INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING:

• Affordable Housing Actions - A Ward 1 Update
• First Ward 1 Q&A Session of 2024 with Councillor Wilson
• 2024 City Budget Deliberations
• Strathcona Community Council Annual Public Meeting