What's Up at City Hall?

The city of Hamilton finds itself at yet another crossroad. Residents are voicing rising concern about safety, and at the same time the municipal leadership is pressing ahead with big policy moves on transit, housing and community well-being.

On the safety front, a public forum convened by city hall revealed that shootings and hate-motivated incidents are “top of public concerns,” particularly downtown and in the lower-mountain neighbourhoods. The fact that even municipal officials are asking for input on “making the city safer” signals the issue has moved from the margins to front-and-centre.

Meanwhile, the municipal leadership under Mayor Andrea Horwath is advancing on several fronts. One of the landmarks: the approval of the so-called “HSR Next” transit overhaul, a shift toward point-to-point bus rapid transit lines (and eventually a light-rail component) aimed at modernizing the city’s transportation backbone. However, as past debates show, transit remains a polarizing issue in Hamilton: cost overruns, ridership concerns, and neighbourhood impacts still resonate. Further, there is an ongoing sense of disillusionment.

Housing continues to loom large. Hamilton has declared a state of emergency tied to homelessness, mental health and opioid-related challenges.  That decision broadens city hall’s mandate to act more aggressively on housing supply, shelter space and wrap-around services. The political question will be whether the City can turn that emergency declaration into tangible outcomes — faster build-outs, better coordination, more permanent affordable units — without ballooning costs or significant push-back.

On the election front, Hamilton is gearing up for the next municipal vote in 2026. With that horizon in view, the 2025-26 cycle is already shaping up as one of heightened competition.  For incumbents and challengers alike, the key issues seem clear: public safety, affordability, transit, and how well city hall listens to citizens.

For the everyday Hamiltonian, here are three things to keep an eye on:

Safety policy and its delivery. Regardless of the rhetoric, neighbourhood residents will judge city hall and police services on visible outcomes: fewer shootings, safer streets, more trust. In short- measurables.

Transit change-management. The HSR Next plan will require service disruptions, cost management, and clear communications. If community buy-in falters, so will momentum.

Affordable housing follow-through. It’s no longer enough to declare emergencies. Execution, timelines, accountability and measurable progress will drive public support — or disillusionment.

In short: Hamilton is not sitting still. City hall is moving, and the electorate is watching. 

The crux of the matter, is whether City Hall and local politicians are to be believed. All the flag waving around transparency and the like is undermined by the City's continued refusal to be transparent- example, continued refusal to provide The Hamiltonian,  Hamiltonians and the water workers union with the costs of the WaterWorkers' strike.

We have recently learned the that union is so frustrated at the city's refusal to provide them with this information, that they are threatening legal action. 

Then there is the ongoing issue of lack of rigor- no formal performance contract for the City Manager, no will or perhaps ability to report on how many staff have performance agreements in place and no effort to rectify these issues.

With the election approaching, The Hamiltonian will continue to shine a light on the level of service and transparency that Hamiltonians are entitled to receive, verses the gaps. We encourage the Directing Minds of this city (The Mayor and Councillors), to reflect upon the fact that Hamiltonians do not suffer fools lightly. 

The Hamiltonian