Please be advised of the upcoming temporary lane closure on Ridge Rd to facilitate guide rail repairs.
Where: 316 Ridge Rd near New Mountain Rd.
When: Tuesday, January 16th, 2024, between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm
Traffic control will be in place during operation, allowing alternating single lanes of traffic. This work is weather-dependent, with the alternative rain day set as Wednesday, January 17th, 2024.
In September, City Council was presented with a Budget Outlook that predicted a 14.2 per cent property tax increase, including the costs of covering provincially mandated impacts. The proposed 2024 Budget was created following Mayor Horwath’s direction to City staff to present a combined operating and capital budget that reduced the burden on taxpayers by responsibly using strategic reserves, screening budget submissions for redundancies and efficiencies, and prioritizing new spending against its ability to advance council identified priorities.
The public will have an opportunity to delegate to Council on the proposed Budget on January 16, 2024.
Following the public delegations, the next steps for the budget process are as follows:
I have not had the opportunity to fully review this budget. But, I remain concerned about the overall increase in the 2024 operating expenditures. I appreciate the creative use of city reserves and debt to lower the tax increase on residential taxes to 7.9%. I am equally aware that any budget increases funded from city reserves does not lower the actual 2024 operating expenditures, it simply defers the hit to Hamilton taxpayers until 2025 or beyond. For example, using the original 14.2% projected increase in operating expenditures as an example, 7.9% would be funded from taxpayers and the remaining 6.3% would be funded from reserves. Next budget cycle, the City will start the budget process with a 6.3% increase to the taxpayers from 2024 increase in spending as well as any new spending in 2025. Using reserves to fund annualized operating expenses is simply borrowing from the city’s reserves (savings account) to defer 2024’s property tax increases to 2025 or beyond. I cannot support this strategy and I look forward to participating in Council’s budget deliberations.
When I was first elected, Upper Stoney Creek had two small conservation areas, Devils Punch Bowl and Felker’s Falls.
Working with both PC & Liberal provincial governments and the Friends of the Eramosa Karst, we were able to save the Eramosa Karst and the Feeder Lands. Both are now under the control of the Hamilton Conservation Authority and is one of our most popular conservation areas.
More recently working with one of the strongest HCA Boards in recent history, our professional, expert staff, the Heritage Green Community Trust and many community donors we launched our first engineered wetland at the Saltfleet Conservation Area. Today, we have secured the last parcel of land needed to complete our goal of four wetlands that will help protect lower Stoney Creek from flooding. We also purchased the property known as the Devils Punch Bowl Market.
These property acquisitions will help with our climate change initiatives to abate flooding while creating spectacular wetlands with trails and observations areas for hikers.
Many years ago, former Chair James Howlett lamented that East Hamilton lacked Conservation lands. I am sure that James is looking down from heaven with pride. Personally, I am honoured to have have had the opportunity to work with a committed HCA board, staff, donors and volunteers to expand these popular Conservation Areas while abating future flooding. Well done everyone!
Our partisan political system works best when elected members set aside their political differences and work together for the betterment of Hamilton. Thank you Debbie, David, Marie and residents. Together, we saved the Henderson Hospital.
Special thanks to Mark Newman and the Mountain News!
Brad Clark Report 
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