The Cost of Silence: Hamilton’s Struggle with Transparency and Accountability

For over a decade, the City of Hamilton has faced criticism for its lack of transparency, especially in matters that directly impact taxpayers. One of the most recent and pressing examples of this is the City’s refusal to disclose the full cost of the water workers' strike in a timely manner—a contentious issue that remains unresolved. But this is not the first time Hamiltonians have been left in the dark. A history of secrecy and unaccountability has haunted the city, contributing to a significant shift in local politics during the 2022 municipal election.

A Decade of Stonewalling

The City’s inability—or unwillingness—to provide clear and honest communication with the public has deep roots. Over the last ten years, Hamiltonians have witnessed scandal after scandal, with each one reinforcing the city’s image of an administration more focused on damage control than transparency.

The Red Hill Expressway Scandal: A Legacy of Deception

The most notorious of these scandals is the Red Hill Expressway, a multi-billion-dollar project riddled with cost overruns, safety concerns, and mismanagement. Despite public outcry, the city continued to withhold critical information about the project’s true costs and the safety risks associated with its construction. Investigations revealed that multiple safety issues had been covered up, and there were questions about the city’s handling of the contract with the construction company.

The lack of transparency regarding the Red Hill Expressway was a key point of frustration for voters. Many Hamiltonians felt they had been left in the dark about how their tax dollars were being spent, which led to widespread disillusionment with city leadership.

The Polluted Water Scandal: A Breach of Trust

In 2019, Hamilton’s public water system was the subject of another scandal. Multiple reports emerged that the city had failed to properly disclose information regarding the contamination of local water sources. Residents were not made aware of the severity of the issue until after public health warnings were issued. The city’s handling of this crisis was widely criticized for its lack of clear communication and delayed response, leaving residents concerned about the safety of their drinking water.

This scandal, combined with the ongoing secrecy surrounding the Red Hill Expressway, highlighted a troubling pattern in city leadership: an unwillingness to be forthcoming with the public when it mattered most.

The 2022 Election: A Turning Point

The culmination of years of scandal and secrecy came to a head in the 2022 municipal election. Voters in Hamilton made it clear that they were fed up with the lack of transparency from their city government. Many long-serving councillors, who had been involved in or had turned a blind eye to these controversies, were voted out of office. This mass exodus marked a significant shift in Hamilton's political landscape, signaling a public demand for accountability and a new direction.

The water workers' strike, which began in 2025, has once again brought the issue of transparency to the forefront. Despite repeated requests for information on the cost of the strike, the City has been stonewalling, offering no clear answers to the public.

The latest response to our questions, (found here), is as follows: "We reached out to City staff earlier in the week for an update. We'll get back to you and the team once we hear back."

This has more or less been the response The Hamiltonian has been receiving for over 3 months of asking. 

 The City’s Continued Lack of Transparency

Hamiltonians have been left asking: What is the city hiding this time? And why does the administration continue to avoid giving clear answers to pressing questions? The water workers' strike is just the latest example in a long history of stonewalling.

The residents of Hamilton have made it clear they expect better—more transparency, more honesty, and more accountability. The 2022 election was a clear message to city officials: the public will not tolerate being kept in the dark any longer.

Kudos to Mayor Horwath for using her strong Mayoral powers to attempt to set a limit as to what tax increase Hamiltonians will be facing, but without honesty and transparency underpinning the city's administration of public funds, it is like a city hall built on sand.

To date, The Mayor, The City Manager, the Finance Manager and every City Councillor, including the one representing you, has been made aware of the outstanding matter of the real costs of the city water workers strike. Their silence may be a consideration in the next election.

Should the city provide the information requested on behalf of Hamiltonians, we will publish it. Stay tuned..or perhaps, next election, you may wish to once again change the station, as in was the case in the 2022 election. 

The Hamiltonian