Hamilton

Thursday September 28, 2023

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday September 28, 2023

Municipal Budget Woes: The Balancing Act Amid Rising Costs

March 24, 2007

In Ontario, municipalities are currently navigating treacherous financial waters, trying to maintain essential services while grappling with budget shortfalls. The pressures to raise property taxes loom large, but it’s a precarious path to tread, especially at a time when citizens are already stretched thin by rising inflation, borrowing costs, and a cost of living crisis. The recent budget discussions in Hamilton serve as a stark reminder of the anxieties that homeowners face.

News: City says 14.2 per cent tax increase looming for Hamilton next year  

August 22, 2012

Coun. Tom Jackson’s recent question in Hamilton hit a nerve: with skyrocketing property values since the last assessment in 2016, many homeowners feared their taxes would double or worse. The reality, as explained by Carmelo Lipsi, the vice-president and COO of the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC), is far less dire. Reassessment doesn’t automatically double your taxes; it just redistributes the tax burden.

The reassessment process is based on a complex set of factors, including real estate activity, property size, location, and construction quality. When the reassessment occurs, it compares the change in your property’s assessed value to the average change for similar properties in your municipality. If your property’s increase exceeds the average, you may expect to pay more taxes; if it’s below, you might see a reduction.

August 14, 2014

In areas with rapidly rising property values, homeowners may face tax increases, while those in more stable areas could see a reduction. Additionally, area rating in Hamilton, where different parts of town pay varying amounts for different services, further complicates the tax calculation.

It’s crucial to note that reassessment isn’t the only factor affecting taxes. Council-approved tax increases also contribute to changes in property tax bills. However, the idea that reassessment alone could double or triple taxes is a misconception.

The situation isn’t unique to Hamilton. Brockville is also facing budgetary challenges, with inflation, rising costs, and unforeseen expenses impacting the 2023 budget. A reliance on fiscal policy reserves and the need to find sustainable revenue sources loom large.

Analysis: As Ontario rolls in tax dollars, why are its cities so cash-strapped?

July 21, 2023

Oshawa, on the other hand, is exercising Strong Mayor powers to expedite budget decisions as part of a broader commitment to building 1.5 million homes by 2031. While these powers grant mayors greater control over budgets, the impact on housing remains uncertain.

In Toronto, Mayor Olivia Chow’s proposal for a city sales tax was met with mixed reactions. The city faces a substantial budget shortfall, and while the sales tax idea seems off the table for now, it highlights the challenging choices municipalities must make to bridge budget gaps.

Ultimately, municipalities in Ontario are navigating a complex financial landscape, and their perennial default is often to seek support from other levels of government. Raising property taxes, while often necessary to fund essential services, must be done judiciously, considering the economic pressures on residents. The reassessment process may not be the doomsday scenario some fear, but it’s a reminder of the delicate balance that local governments must strike when managing budgets in trying times. The key is transparency, communication, and a commitment to ensuring the burden of taxation remains fair for all residents. (AI)

 

Graeme Gallery 2022 – Hamilton

Tuesday December 27, 2022. This is a special digital version of Graeme Galleries, Hamilton edition, as a preview to the full page print extravaganza in days to come that will unfold on the Comment Pages of the Hamilton Spectator and several other Metroland newspapers. Click on any of the cartoons to link back to the original dates they were posted:

March 30, 2022
April 7, 2022
June 11, 2022
June 22, 2022
July 27, 2022
August 17, 2022
September 17, 2022
October 1, 2022
October 15, 2022
October 19, 2022
October 26, 2022
November 23, 2022
Mayor Fred Cartoon Gallery

Hamilton Galleries

2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014

Wednesday October 26, 2022

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday October 26, 2022

New Mayor, Strong Mayor?

Some said the race to become Hamilton’s next mayor was hers to lose from the outset.

October 1, 2022

And indeed Andrea Horwath took charge of her political destiny, winning a close race to become the first woman to wear the chain of office in the city.

Horwath pulled out the victory over main rival Keanin Loomis, who traded the lead as votes trickled in throughout the evening. Bob Bratina finished a distant third.

“Hamiltonians deserve to have a city that they know they can trust what’s happening at city hall,” she told a jubilant crowd of supporters downtown at The Spice Factory.

She thanked Loomis, Bratina and other candidates. “We do not agree on everything, but we all love this city.”

Horwath finished with 59,216 or 42 per cent of the vote, while Loomis was runner-up with 57,553 or 41 per cent. Bratina garnered 17,436 and 12 per cent.

The former Ontario NDP leader and Hamilton Centre MPP expressed gratitude to voters. “We all believe in the same thing: We believe in Hamilton.” (The Hamilton Spectator) 

August 17, 2022

Meanwhile, Ontario’s big city mayors elected to a new term in office may soon have enhanced powers at their disposal to tackle tough issues like housing.

But experts say the use of so-called “strong mayor” powers may not be clear-cut, and their use may be limited by budgetary constraints and other factors.

Housing was a major election theme in municipal campaigns across the province, particularly related to affordability.

Ontario’s Progressive Conservative government recently passed a law giving mayors of Toronto and Ottawa veto power over bylaws that conflict with provincial priorities like housing, and Premier Doug Ford says the powers will be extended to other cities in a year.

Monday night’s municipal election results mean Ford could be extending those powers to former foes in provincial politics, with former leaders of the NDP and Liberals elected as the mayors of Hamilton and Vaughan, respectively.

McMaster University political scientist Peter Graefe says it will be interesting to see how different municipalities use the strong mayor powers depending on local pressures on councils and from voters. (CTV News) 

From sketch to finish, see the current way Graeme completes an editorial cartoon using an iPencil, the Procreate app, and a couple of cheats on an iPad Pro …

 

Tuesday October 25, 2022

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday October 25, 2022

Municipal action on affordable housing is in everyone’s interest

The affordable housing crisis in Canada is putting people on the streets or forcing them to live in inadequate or even dangerous housing.

October 15, 2022

Because this crisis is caused by several complex and interrelated factors, it unfortunately can’t be solved with a single magic bullet. We urgently need to accelerate action on affordable housing on four fronts: the construction, acquisition and retention of affordable housing, and housing supports.

The National Housing Strategy is a great leap forward in Canadian housing policy. Much of the funding goes directly to municipalities for construction of new, affordable rental housing units, primarily built and managed by the non-profit sector.

Municipalities need to find ways to accelerate affordable housing construction by streamlining the planning approval process, providing land for affordable housing, reducing or creatively financing development charges — a major cost driver — and helping non-profit organizations develop more homes faster.

But most “affordable” rental housing in Canada (i.e., places with modest rent) is in private market buildings. We can’t possibly build new affordable housing fast enough to compensate for the simultaneous loss of affordable market housing.

December 28, 2021

As a result of processes that inflate rents, the loss of affordable market rental housing has accelerated over the last several years. From 2011-2016, Canada lost 322,000 homes renting for under $750 per month. This extended to a further loss of 230,000 units under $750 from 2016-2021.

Investors seek buildings with below-market rents. As tenants leave (either forcibly or by attrition), owners can substantially increase rents. This inflation is made possible by vacancy decontrol, where rent is only regulated if the same tenant stays in a unit. Once a tenant vacates, rent can raised to whatever the market will bear.

To help preserve affordable properties, non-profit organizations need tools for acquiring existing market rental housing with modest rents. This is much faster than new construction, helps mitigate the erosion of affordable housing stock and avoids the sometimes slow processes for new construction. (The Toronto Star) 

 

Wednesday October 19, 2022

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday October 19, 2022

Hamilton’s mayoral candidates

2014 Mayoral Race

There are a lot of differences among the nine people running for mayor of Hamilton. But many of them have things in common — an interest in changing housing, infrastructure, and the culture at city hall. And while some of these ideas may sound familiar to voters, others aren’t even within the mayor’s power to enact, falling under provincial or federal jurisdiction. (CBC)