2023 Operating Budget provides targeted enhancements to housing, transit, health, emergency services and infrastructure

HAMILTON, ON – The City of Hamilton will enhance housing, transit, emergency services and infrastructure through approval of its 2023 tax operating budget.

The $1.07 billion tax operating net levy will increase by 5.8 per cent over 2022 levels. A total of 2.5 per cent of the 2023 increase accounts for the increased costs of running existing services. The remainder of the increase goes towards service enhancements, including housing and housing-related supports, transportation and mobility, and health and safety.

Housing will see one of the most significant increases in the budget, with a 30 per cent increase in funding to just over $70.1 million. Transportation-related services programs will also see a significant increase including an 8 per cent increase in the budget of the Hamilton Street Railway, a large portion of which is being allocated to 49,000 additional hours of service.

The budget also allocates significant new resources to safety-related programs, including a 16 per cent increase in the budget of the Hamilton Paramedic Service to be able to accommodate increasing calls for service. In addition, the 2023 budget includes the establishment of the Asset Management Office representing a $1.1 million investment into infrastructure asset, which will aid the City in prioritizing which roads, bridges and other core infrastructure needs repair or replacement.

Additional areas of investment towards the establishment of a climate change office, more resources for public engagement, increased funding for the implementation of the City’s Indigenous Strategy.

The City of Hamilton’s tax increase is similar to many other cities in Ontario. The budget of Burlington/Halton will see a 7.5 per cent increase in 2023. Toronto's tax increase is budgeted at 7 per cent, while Mississauga/Peel and Guelph are coming in at 5.3 per cent and 4.5 per cent, respectively.

A large portion of the 2.5 per cent maintenance figure is related to increasing costs, including a 40 per cent increase in fuel costs translating to an additional $3.7 million and a $4.2 million increase in funding to social housing providers to aid them in dealing with rising costs. It also takes into account the City’s anticipated loss of revenue from areas such as Transit ($4.1 million), Parking Services ($2.1 million) and Recreation Services ($3.3 million) and those services continue to recover from the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The City's tax operating budget is funded through property tax collected from residential, commercial, and industrial properties and is allocated to all municipal and provincially shared services, as well as, infrastructure needs, the boards of education, etc. The tax operating budget differs from the rate budget, which funds water, wastewater and storm water services through Hamilton Water, and the Capital Budget, which funds activities such as new construction, infrastructure repair and the purchase of new equipment.