Hamilton is entering budget season and Mayor Andrea Horwath has released a proposed breakdown for 2025.
In a memo from Monday, the mayor said the 2025 budget will reflect "a commitment to Hamilton’s future as a growing city on the move that is committed to responsible and necessary infrastructure investments.
The city is looking at a 6.3 property tax increase — a little less than the 6.9 per cent increase floated in November 2024. Overall, residents would pay a $318.40 increase per year.
The proposal is a first look at what city councillors will discuss from Jan. 28 to Jan. 31. If city council agrees on the budget by the end of those meetings, it will pass on Feb. 9. If not, the council has two follow up dates to decide on the final budget – Feb. 22 and March 9.
The city estimates its gross budget, which is the amount of money needed to run the city's services and programs, will be around $2.81-billion. Its net, which is the amount of money leftover once subsidies and other funding is considered, is $1.25-billion.
Horwath’s proposal focuses on transit, housing and funding for emergency services, like paramedics, 911 operations and police.
The city's boards and services are estimated at $63-million, $3.5-million over the 2024 budget.
The budget accounts for 46 new Hamilton Street Railway full time jobs, as the city works to expand its transit system.
It also plans on using $63-million from its reserve funds for housing related projects, like phasing in development charge exemptions and investing in social housing projects. The proposal includes 33 full-time housing accelerator jobs. Some of these reserve funds would also go toward beefing up the city’s cybersecurity systems, after a ransomware attack shut down the city’s network for months in early 2024.
Hamilton police has a tentative $224-million ask from the city, $17-million more than its 2024 budget. The police budget will be discussed further on Jan. 28. This includes adding 40 full-time positions to Hamilton police.
The proposal also earmarks $5-million for 9-1-1 services.
The 2025 budget proposal includes a $14.1-million investment in outdoor shelter space and 192 temporary shelter beds.
The city is also potentially investing $641.8-million in infrastructure projects, like roads, sewage and water systems.
Hamilton Public Library would have two more full-time positions and 16 additional full-time jobs would be added to the city to carry out council referred items from 2024.
Residents still have time to weigh in on the budget, with public delegations on Jan. 20.
