Craig's Current - December 2024

Welcome to the final 2024 edition of Craig’s Current. Over the year we’ve published fifteen newsletters, including one each month and three supplemental issues in order to keep you updated in a timely manner. We hope you have found them informative. Sadly, this was the first full year without the Ancaster News (and several other local papers across the city), and also the year we lost CHML 900. Local news is so important to our community, and we’ve attempted to evolve Craig’s Current to fill in some of the void. We will continue to do so and would be happy to hear feedback from you about the content you think we should include in 2025. It’s a huge task to replace professional media outlets, but we are focused on continuous improvement and would welcome your thoughts. Please email [email protected] if you have suggestions on how our newsletter should evolve to meet the need for local news.  

In the meantime, this month’s newsletter includes an update on Hwy 52 and Powerline Rd, news about the 2025 budget process, and an article about the illegal dumping at the heritage home at 243 Garner E. Finally, you’ll find an invitation to join the Ward 12 team for a free Councillor-sponsored skate at Morgan Firestone Arena on December 21 at 10:30 am. We hope to see many of you there! 

When the Province passed legislation in 2022 to create Strong Mayor Powers, their goal was to streamline decision-making in order to achieve the Provincial goal of building 1.5 million homes by 2031. There were several aspects to the new ‘powers’ but the full scope and details were not well-defined, and therefore not well-understood by municipalities. 

One of the changes in the legislation related to the annual municipal budget process. Clarity on the required changes has only been achieved in recent weeks. In a nutshell, the budget is now the direct responsibility of the Mayor; Council is no longer the decision maker, although there remains an important role for Councillors in the final outcome. The following is a brief overview of how Hamilton must now handle both the rate-supported Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater budget and the tax-supported operating and capital budgets.  

Mayor Horwath is legislatively required to propose a budget – or have staff prepare one - each year by February 1. Via the Mayoral Directive issued on October 28, 2024, she decided to continue the process of a staff-prepared budget.  The directive contained specific instructions for staff to aggressively explore efficiencies and savings opportunities to limit the size of the 2025 property tax increase to residents.  

Note that the 2025 Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater budget was completed on December 11, 2024, and the tax support budget process will begin in earnest on January 23 and progress as per the schedule below.  

Councillors retain the ability to influence the budget just as they have in years past. We will all have the opportunity to amend the proposed budget by putting forward motions during the 30-day period after it is first presented. This process is more-or-less the same compared to previous years. During the 2024 budget, this was the stage where I and several of my colleagues put forward motions to reduce the 2024 increase from 6.8% to 5.79%.  

However, since the budget belongs to the Mayor and not Council, Mayor Horwath is granted 10 days from the end of the council review period to veto any Council amendment.  

If the Mayor chooses to veto any part of the budget (i.e. amending motions passed by Council), Councillors will have 15 days to override her decision if two-thirds of Council members vote to support such action.  

Here's an overview of the schedule for the tax-supported operating and capital budget:  

January 20, 2025 – Public Delegations. Opportunity for members of the public to share their priorities with Council. Email [email protected] by noon on January 16th to register to speak in person, virtually, or by pre-recorded video. You can also send letters to the same address and they will appear on the agenda. 

January 23, 2025 – First presentation to the public. Material will be available a few days in advance.  

January 28, 2025 – Budget presentations from Boards and Agencies, including Hamilton Police Services.

January 29, 2025 - Budget presentations from City Staff: Housing and Healthy & Safe Communities.

January 30, 2025- Budget presentations from City Staff: Corporate Services & City Manager’s Office. 

January 31, 2025 - Budget presentations from City Staff: Planning & Economic Development and Public Works. 

February 7, 2025 – Budget deliberations by Council. 

In a previous newsletter, I wrote about the short-term safety measures that have been implemented on Highway 52 near the intersection with Powerline Rd. Each of these measures were steps available to the City (via Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act) while the larger project for a roundabout moves ahead.  

The Environmental Assessment for this project was initiated earlier in 2024, which is the first step to examine options that will improve roadway safety for all users including pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles. Staff have hired the engineering consultant required for such a large project and are planning public engagement. Looking forward to 2025, there will be two public information sessions: the first to gather feedback on possible solutions and then a second to review the proposed design. The Ward 12 office and City Staff understand the importance of this project and are eager to see it move ahead. Stay tuned to Craig’s Current and my social media for the dates of these public meetings. 

Time to dust off those ice skates! I hope you can join me for a complimentary, Councillor-sponsored skate at Morgan Firestone Arena on Saturday, December 21st, 2024, from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm. Hot chocolate will be served.  

On Thursday, November 28, my office was made aware of the dumping of an unknown substance on the property of the Richardson Hyslop Frebold House at 243 Garner Road East in Ancaster. This property was previously designated under the Ontario Heritage Act. I want the community to know that the Ward 12 office takes incidents that pose a risk to our irreplaceable heritage buildings very seriously. I can confirm that the owner did not have a permit to dump at this location. City Bylaw is investigating, and the Ministry for Environment, Parks and Conservation (MECP) has been notified. The owner has indicated they will comply with a deadline of December 20 to remove the substance from the property.  We are aware that some remediation has already occurred with more to be completed.

Built in 1858, the Richardson Hyslop Frebold House is a jewel in Ancaster. As seen above, it does not appear to be receiving maintenance to a standard that will ensure its survival. At a minimum, the roof, eavestroughs, and downspouts need to be maintained for a structure to withstand the elements. Demolition by neglect will not be permitted for this historic home.   

On behalf of the many Ward 12 constituents who value our built heritage, I have written to Losani Homes, the owner of the property. I asked them to 1) confirm when the cleanup of their illegal dumping at 243 Garner Rd E is complete; 2) confirm that they will maintain the house and the surrounding property to the standards that a heritage designation warrants; and 3) keep Ward 12 residents updated on the status of the home via my office. They have agreed to an in-person meeting to discuss these topics. I will keep the community updated as there is more to share. 

The unofficial start to the holiday season occurred on December 5^th outside of Ancaster Old Town Hall. There was a large crowd to see Santa, the Christmas Tree Lighting, and to take a ride in a horse-drawn carriage on Wilson St. If you weren’t able to make it, here are some picture highlights: 

As we head into the holiday season, I hope you are able to enjoy time with family and friends and recharge your batteries for 2025. The Ward 12 office will be taking time off over the holidays to do just that. Please expect a slower response than usual from December 20th through to January 3^rd. 

Hey kids, are you worried that your letter to Santa won’t make it to the North Pole in time for Christmas? Fear not! The Hamilton Spectator has a hotline to Santa and has created an electronic submission form which will ensure your letter makes it to the Jolly Old Elf before Christmas.  All submissions will be delivered to Santa, but some may also be published in the Hamilton Spectator newspaper. Parents or guardians must fill out all required fields before typing in or uploading a photo of their child’s letter to Santa. Submit letters here. 

Did you know there are various tax assistance programs available for residential taxpayers based on age or income? Programs include deferral of tax increases, full deferral of tax, seniors (65+) tax rebate, and compassionate appeals. Find out more at this link. 

Balancing the City’s budget is a key task, and now Hamilton residents can gain a clearer understanding of how the 2025 financial plan is shaped with a new online tool. This interactive platform allows you to explore the budget process and share your ideas on how City funds should be spent and what City taxes should be. 

Winter Solstice Festival and Workshops, Corktown Park Hamilton Saturday, Dec 21, dusk till 9 pm. Join artists, friends, and neighbours to enjoy dancers, musicians, and installations as Hamilton celebrates the Winter Solstice – the return of light after the longest night of the year.

In early December, Dr. Lynda Lukasik, the City of Hamilton’s Director of the Office of Climate Change Initiatives, presented her 2024 Climate Investment plan. Her office has an annual budget of $2.5 million to pursue projects that fulfill the City’s climate mitigation and adaptation plans. For 2024, she presented 13 projects across several areas. Although not all of them were focused on emissions reduction, the impact of her plan reduces emissions from the corporation by 6,864 tC02e/year. That’s nearly 7,000 tonnes of carbon-dioxide-equivalent emissions eliminated and is an 8.7% reduction vs. 2023.  

The main driver of the reduction is a conversion to EcoDiesel Fuel for some City vehicles, but also includes innovative projects such as Recreation Centre Pool Heat Reclamation; Solar-Powered Ambulance Fleet (for their auxiliary batteries); an Electric Street Sweeper; and Electric Maintenance Vehicles. The extra benefit from these projects is that they also reduce the future operating costs for the City since less energy is required and the energy used is cheaper. As is so often the case, converting to sustainable energy sources is beneficial to the City on multiple levels.  

The graph below illustrates the City’s historical progress on emission reductions. It’s important to note that our progress in reducing emissions by improving energy efficiency in corporate buildings, and street and traffic lighting has been cancelled out by a 40% increase in the provincial electricity emissions factor from 2021 to 2023. This is the direct result of increased reliance on natural gas generation in Ontario. 

There is much work to be done to be a Net Zero City by 2050 or earlier. To put the (corporation of) the City of Hamilton’s GHG emissions in perspective, we are less than 1% of the total emissions from across the City where industry, building, and transportation are the top three contributors. The City is working with industry partners and upper levels of government to develop a Regional Decarbonization Hub that will tackle city-wide emissions. I’ll be sure to provide updates in Craig’s Current when there is more to share.    

Thanks, as always, to everyone who reaches out to engage with our office. I hope you enjoyed reading this month’s newsletter. Please share it with Ward 12 neighbours and friends. If you have questions feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] and subscribe to the Ward 12 newsletter at CraigCassar.ca. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky.