As we begin the process of budget deliberation, I wanted to share a few thoughts to frame our conversations and our work.
I want to begin by acknowledging the hard work done by Mayor Horwath to present this budget. The introduction of strong mayor powers has changed the budget process considerably from how earlier budgets were presented. The province deemed it necessary to make these changes, and it is now our responsibility to work within this framework. This budget was designed based on the directives issued by the Mayor, which aim to balance the significant demands facing the City with property tax impacts on Hamiltonians who continue to grapple with affordability challenges.
It is now Council’s opportunity, should you choose, to put forward amendments, to this budget.
We are all aware that these budget deliberations will be a challenging process. We are faced with a multitude of issues that will test our ability to work collaboratively, patiently, and with a spirit of civic pride. Together, we must ensure a future-focused budget.
Complex times have been made even more so by several pressing factors, including varied relationships with other levels of government, global economic challenges that have made life less affordable, and the urgent need to catch up on years of under-investment in essential services due to excessive tax deficits from past years.
Our city’s infrastructure needs are among the most critical issues we must address in our budget discussions. We are all acutely aware of the massive infrastructure needs our city has and the ever-growing backlog of repairs, upgrades, and projects essential to the well-being of our residents and the success of local businesses. This is a well-established fact, not a political statement. Hamilton cannot thrive without adequate and modern infrastructure, and it is our responsibility to ensure Hamilton’s infrastructure needs are prioritized in this budget.
But these challenges also hold opportunity. This is our chance to demonstrate leadership by committing to working together to make tough decisions in service to our city now and for generations to come. By committing to investing in our infrastructure, we can ensure Hamilton is prepared for what lies ahead.
The 2025 budget process marks the third time we have collectively worked toward addressing the issues our city faces. Last year, many of you contributed unique and respectful amendments to address the concerns of residents and all of community. Your amendments were doable within the timeline of that budget. They were respectful of the time and talent of city staff in terms of their scope of work. I would ask the same of all members this year.
Every member of this council has a seat at this table and a role to play in building this budget. I trust that each of you will focus on constructive collaboration and demonstrate commitment to a budget that works for Hamiltonians.
In addition to our work here, we must ensure other levels of government come to the table with meaningful, sustainable investments. Municipalities from Sudbury to Sarnia, Kingston to Kenora, Timmins to Toronto are calling on the Province to step up and into their responsibilities – supportive housing, mental health and addiction services, and infrastructure needed to service growth and development. If Ontario’s 444 municipalities can show unity, this horseshoe can too.
Mayor Horwath has done her job and set out directives for staff to follow. Staff have done their job and presented us with a budget that follows those directives. It’s now time for us to do our job. I am hopeful that we will do it well in honour of a city we love so much and that deserves our best efforts.