Promises, Promises or Finally?

At The Hamiltonian, we believe meaningful progress in city governance and statecraft is essential. 

In this spirit, The Hamiltonian posed a series of direct and challenging questions to City Manager Marnie Cluckie. Her responses are included in full, allowing our readers to make their own determinations as to whether the proposed changes will help Hamilton turn itself around.

We thank Ms. Cluckie for engaging in this important dialogue, and we remain committed to holding public leadership accountable while amplifying the voices of Hamiltonians seeking a better future.

1. As the City of Hamilton’s most senior public servant, reporting to City Council and the Mayor, you carry significant responsibility for the administration and leadership of the city. In light of a recent survey indicating that 80% of respondents do not trust City Hall, and a recent article in The Hamilton Spectator referencing a C.D. Howe Institute report that ranks Hamilton last in financial transparency among major Canadian cities, what would you say to residents who are justifiably concerned by these findings? Additionally, how do you intend to assist to restore public confidence?

We take the concerns of Hamilton residents very seriously. As City Manager, I understand that trust must be earned - through transparency, accountability, and consistently delivering high-quality customer service.

We are grateful to the Mayor’s Task Force for their dedication and the comprehensive report they produced. The survey findings indicate that more needs to be done to strengthen public confidence. We acknowledge the concerns; City staff are reviewing the Task Force recommendations and will report back to Council with actionable options that align with community priorities.

In the meantime, we continue to take steps to modernize our systems, improve communication, and make information more accessible. My commitment is to ensure that our administration operates with integrity, communicates openly, and puts residents at the centre of everything we do.

Examples of some initiatives currently underway to build back better and stronger include:Improving the Customer Service Experience, by launching a new online recreation registration and facility booking system to make it easier for residents to access programs; rolling out a new phased customer relationship management solution; and developing a roadmap to ensure a consistent customer experience across all service delivery channels.Modernizing Systems and Processes, through new technology and tools, such as implementing a Freedom of Information (FOI) tracking software to manage key performance indicators, launching an online service portal for Vacant Unit Tax declarations, and piloting two programs to improve the development approval process.

Advancing Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA), by developing Hamilton-specific IDEA training programs to educate employees; and hosting the City’s first Accessibility Awards to recognize achievements of those improving accessibility for persons with disabilities.

Additionally, Hamilton continues to demonstrate strong fiscal stewardship - evidenced by our AAA credit rating, the highest possible from S&P and achieved by only a few Canadian municipalities, and the recent GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation Award, which recognized the clarity and quality of the City’s budget.

While these steps matter, we know they’re just the beginning. We’ve clearly heard that more needs to change - and we are committed to doing that work with the support of Council and our community.


2. There is a growing perception that the City is leaning too heavily on the cybersecurity attack to justify ongoing service and administrative challenges. Are you aware of this sentiment? At what point will the City move away from citing this event as a primary explanation, and focus instead on demonstrating accountability in its operations?

It’s important to acknowledge that the cyberattack had an unprecedented impact on the City’s systems – likely one of the most significant municipal cyber events in Canada. That said, I agree that our focus must now shift from explanation to action – and that is exactly what we are doing. The City is actively working to enhance service levels, address long-standing issues, and increase responsiveness. The cyberattack marked a turning point, a catalyst to modernize systems, strengthen internal accountability, and build a stronger, more resilient, and service-centred organization.

Most services are now fully or partially restored, and our focus is on long-term transformation. For example, we are replacing core systems such as our financial management platform and advancing all 21 projects outlined in the publicly available Cybersecurity Impact Update Report (CM24004). These efforts will help us to improve our cyber security, efficiency and customer experience.

Ultimately, I recognize that rebuilding trust requires more than words. As a City, we must lead with accountability and demonstrate our commitment through action. That means improving how we deliver services, communicating more clearly, and putting residents at the centre of everything we do. We are focused on delivering results and rebuilding trust - by showing, not telling.

3. What percentage of City of Hamilton employees currently have a recent and timely performance appraisal on file? If the number is significantly below 90%, what specific measures are being taken to ensure that all employees have clear expectations, structured feedback, and support for professional growth to enhance public service delivery?

Working together with City of Hamilton employees and leaders to ensure an engaged and high-performing workforce that provides the best program and service delivery for residents is a top priority. The City offers a combination of required and optional learning modules and workshops to support employee development to help better serve Hamilton residents.

Employees and their people leaders are supported through a Career Mobility Discussion Guide, which helps employees assess their career stage, identify opportunities for growth, and create a plan to build the knowledge, skills and abilities and help them advance.

To support employees’ learning and development, the City has established core competencies that define success at each career stage and for each role at the City. These competencies are supported by My Learning Connection, the City’s online learning platform, which offers development resources aligned with the City’s Core Competencies, including suggestions for on-the-job experiences, learning through others, and formal courses.

The City’s Leadership Profile, outlines what great leaders do (accountabilities & responsibilities) and how they lead (competencies & culture), giving both current and aspiring leaders clear expectations and tools to build effective development plans.

The Career Mobility Discussion Guide is brought to life in part by the City’s Performance Accountability and Development (PAD) Program, which consists of three phases:

i.) Setting Performance Expectations (Goals & Objectives) at the start of the year, ii. Providing Coaching, Feedback and Support throughout the year, and iii.) Evaluating Against Expectations at the year-end.

The PAD process includes a collaborative discussion between the employee and their leader to support career growth. Due to the cybersecurity incident, access to the online PAD tool was disrupted in 2024, and completion data is currently unavailable. However, many employees and leaders used a paper-based PAD documents to continue the process during the outage. We are pleased to share that the PAD tool is now back online, and PAD data will be available for 2025.

Employee goals and objectives are aligned to department and divisional workplans, Council priorities, and the organization’s strategic direction.

4. Do you have a performance contract/agreement in place (a contract/agreement, not an evaluation or appraisal). If so, can you share it with us for publication purposes. To be clear, we are not asking for any personnel information or about your evaluated performance, but simply for your performance objectives, goals, measures for evaluation etc.

The City of Hamilton has a responsibility to ensure that all employees, including the City Manager, have an opportunity to set annual goals and receive feedback on their performance in meeting these goals. To support a thorough review of the City Manager’s performance, goals and objectives are set in collaboration with the Mayor, who reviews and evaluates outcomes.

The City’s Manager’s objectives reflect the Council-approved priorities for this term: Sustainable Economic & Ecological Development, Safe & Thriving Neighbourhoods, and Responsiveness & Transparency. This approach helps ensure the City Manager remains focused on delivering results, improving service, strengthening accountability, and supporting a high-performing organization that meets the needs of Hamilton residents.

Note: From this response, it remained unclear to us as to whether Ms. Cluckie does, in fact, have a performance contract/agreement in place, This prompted the following follow up question. 

Thank-you for your replies to our interview. Before we publish, we would like to confirm that you will not be providing a copy of your performance contract/agreement, as we had asked for. Is this correct? If so, can you explain why you will not be providing the document, bearing in mind that we are not asking for any personal goals, or an evaluation of your performance.

Ms. Cluckie's reply was as follows:

The City Manager’s annual performance goals and objectives are set in collaboration with the Mayor, who reviews and evaluates outcomes. While there is not a formalized, public-facing performance contract - as noted in the initial response - my objectives as City Manager reflect and are intended to deliver on Council’s approved priorities for this term:Sustainable Economic & Ecological Development, Safe & Thriving Neighbourhoods, and Responsiveness & Transparency. I remain focused on delivering results, improving service, strengthening accountability, and supporting a high-performing organization that meets the needs of Hamilton residents.

5. The Hamiltonian understands that funding for a customer service strategy was approved in the 2024 budget but delayed due to the cyberattack. Can you provide an update on its status? Is there a plan for the City of Hamilton to implement customer service standards with defined goals and publicly reported outcomes? As customer service standards speak to core mission of city administration, can you explain why Hamilton had not implemented customer service standards as of yet? 

Yes, funding for a City customer service strategy was approved in the 2024 budget. While its rollout was temporarily delayed, this work is actively back on track.

The upcoming Customer Experience Strategy will provide a structured plan focused on improving how residents experience city services, ensuring they are accessible, consistent, timely, and resident-focused across all channels, whether in-person, by phone, or online. It will include the development of formal customer service standards, service targets, and publicly reported performance measures. These standards are foundational to municipal service delivery.

A Request for Proposal (RFP) will be issued shortly to engage a specialized firm to help develop the Strategy. The RFP was briefly paused to align with the release of the Mayor’s Task Force report, ensuring that the input of the Task Force could be fully reflected in the scope of work.

In parallel, budgets have also included funding to support the City’s future transition to a 3-1-1 service model - an important step toward improving access, responsiveness, and service consistency for residents.

While the strategy is under development, the City continues to make progress in enhancing customer experience. Some examples include: by launching a new online recreation registration and facility booking system to make it easier for residents to access programs, implementing an improved job posting website for a more seamless and simplified user experience, developing a City digital strategy, and piloting two programs to improve the development approval process.

Providing excellence in public service and customer experience is central to our mission.

What's It Like to be a Lawyer- with Wade Poziomka

Join us as we go behind the scenes of everyday professions and roles — from the well-known to the rarely explored — to uncover the personal, human side of work, please enjoy our chat with lawyer  Wade Poziomka of Ross and McBride

Thank-you Wade for engaging with Hamiltonians in The Hamiltonian!

1. At what point did you realize that a career in law was the right path for you? Could you describe some of the formative experiences that shaped your decision?

From a young age, I’ve always felt a deep sense of injustice when I saw people, particular those from equity-seeking groups who were vulnerable, being treated unfairly. I always anticipated I would pursue a career in policing or law – both helping professions. In law school, I interned with the Interantioanl Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva, Switzerland and worked with Guido Raimondi. Mr. Raimondi was the Legal Advisor of the ILO at the time and later went on to become the President of the European Court of Human Rights. My time at the ILO was a formative moment, as I realized how the law could be a powerful tool for social change.

In my view, the law isn’t just about arguing legal points or applying the law but identifying failings in the law and advocating for legal reform so that the law changes to meet the needs of equity-seeking groups. The law, ultimately, is about fairness and justice.

2. For individuals considering a legal career, what are some key questions they should reflect on to determine if this profession aligns with their goals and values?

There are many different areas of law and kinds of lawyer. While those aspiring to be lawyers will often hear that there are too many lawyers in the profession, with respect to human rights law, in my view, there aren’t enough.

Law school is a significant undertaking – 3 years of study at a significant expense. I would encourage anyone interested in law to reach out to lawyers and ask to shadow for a day or two in an area they think they may be interested. Seeing the day-to-day aspects of the job can help inform a significant decision.

For those interested in applicant-side human rights law, I would encourage you to think about why you want to practice in this area. Some questions to think about when considering human rights law as a career choice are:

“Do I feel compelled to fight for justice, particularly for those who don’t have a platform to speak for themselves?”
“Am I prepared for the emotional and mental toll that can come with advocating for individuals who face systemic barriers?”
“Am I committed to continuous learning, as the law is always evolving, especially in human rights and constitutional matters?”
“Am I ready to use the law as a tool not just for personal gain, but as a means to create meaningful change for vulnerable or equity-seeking groups?”

3. Without disclosing any confidential information, could you describe the most challenging case you’ve worked on? What made it particularly difficult, and how did you approach or resolve those challenges?

The litigation against the City of Hamilton on behalf of individuals who are houseless and were erecting shelter in public spaces was one of the most difficult cases I’ve worked on. The case was very polarizing – with individuals in the community feeling very strongly about the issue.

I certainly understood the plight of those in the City who were angered at the loss of some public spaces. But I also saw the deep humanity of those in encampments and the struggle they experienced every day. It’s easy to demonize an individual – call them a drug addict or accuse them of ‘gaming the system’. It’s much harder to see the humanity in an individual in need. At the end of the day, all different types of people were erecting shelters, but one thing was certain – the need was certainly greater than the the availability and for some, there were no other options.

This litigation involved dealing with the political element – those who are dependent on votes to maintain their jobs and their livelihood. Issues involving human rights are not always popular or seen favourably by the public. I was surprised to see the polarization and level of anger in the community on an issue that I genuinely believed, and still believe, we should be working together to tackle. This is an example where in my view the law shouldn’t be utilized but it was the only option in the face of the pushback from some in the community.

4. In your experience, how well does the legal system serve marginalized or vulnerable populations?

The legal system has its flaws, particularly when it comes to serving equity-seeking groups. While there are mechanisms in place for protection, these individuals often face significant barriers—whether it's access to legal representation or economic factors that prevent them from fully engaging with the system. I’ve seen firsthand the challenges these groups face, which is why I’ve dedicated much of my practice to human rights and labour law, where I advocate for those who have historically been silenced.

5. What are some of the most common misconceptions the public holds about the legal profession or the role of lawyers?

One misconception is that all lawyers are primarily focused on making money. Take the encampment litigation in the City of Hamilton for example. Many comments on social media involved lawyers pushing the litigation to “get rich”. For me, I have never expected to be compensated for this work – and it has been a significant amount of work. I’m certainly not “pushing” litigation and there are many others matters requiring my time. Human rights law is often thankless work. Having said this, I also got many messages of support – especially from people who know who I am and the principles I live by. While I cannot respond to each and every one, it is meaningful to receive messages of this nature from time to time.

6. The legal field can be emotionally and mentally demanding. How do you manage the stress and emotional toll that can accompany your work?

It’s certainly not easy. The emotional toll can be particularly high when you’re advocating for individuals facing systemic oppression or serious injustices. Personally, I manage this stress through a combination of maintaining a strong support system—both professionally and personally—and ensuring I take time to recharge. My family is very supportive of the work I do and I also have picked up some hobbies to take my mind off of work – for the past year, I’ve been taking lessons to obtain a private pilots license. I’ve also decided to move away from board of director volunteer work and am completing my training to work as a firefighter in the small community I live in. While I certainly don’t have an abundance of free time, focusing on activities outside of the law is important to keep perspective.

I also remind myself that while the law is not a cure-all, it is one of the most powerful tools we have to create change. Knowing that I’m contributing to something greater than myself helps me push through the tougher moments.

7. What are some aspects of legal practice that you believe law school doesn’t fully prepare students for?

Law school provides a strong foundation in legal theory, but it doesn’t always prepare students for the emotional complexity of working with real clients who have personal, often difficult, stories. It doesn’t teach you how to navigate the emotional weight of human rights or labour law cases, where there’s a very real human cost to the outcomes. Law students are also not always prepared for the practical realities of running a law practice—things like client relationships, managing workloads, or navigating the financial aspects of a legal career.

8. What impact has technology—and more recently, artificial intelligence—had on your work as a lawyer? How do you foresee these tools shaping the legal profession over the next 5 to 10 years?

To be honest, I have not fully embraced artificial intelligence in my practice. I think it has potential and can certainly increase access to justice by addressing certain aspects of a legal practice that can keep costs down for clients, but I also have seen it used improperly by legal professions with disastrous results.

Over the next 5 to 10 years, I anticipate AI will continue to play a larger role in supporting lawyers, but it will be essential for us to remain mindful of its limitations and ensure that it is used to enhance, rather than replace, human judgment.

9. If you had the opportunity to reform one aspect of the legal system, what would it be and why?

Ever since law school, the biggest area of reform in my view is steps to increase access to justice. The legal system, in my view, is more easily navigating by those with resources – the rich and powerful. Too many individuals, particularly from equity-seeking groups, cannot afford legal representation, and this creates a significant gap in their ability to access the protections the law is supposed to offer. I’d like to see a system where access to basic legal services is more equitable, whether through expanded legal aid services and increased pro bono work from the private bar.

10. Throughout your legal career, what has been the most unexpected or eye-opening thing you’ve learned about people?

The most unexpected thing I’ve learned about people is how deeply resilient and resourceful they can be in the face of adversity. Whether it’s an individual fighting against workplace discrimination or a community seeking justice for systemic injustice, people often find ways to persist, even when the odds are stacked against them. That resilience continues to inspire me and fuels my passion for fighting for social change through the law. It also motivates me to stand with equity-seeking groups, provide pro bono representation where I can, and help those groups strive toward justice.

Thanks again Wade for this very insightful and helpful interview. 

 

 

Professionally, Wade can be reached at Ross and McBride- click here to go there.