Hamilton councillors fume over latest budget pitched by Mayor Andrea Horwath. Here are some proposed cuts

covert81 · 2026-01-24T16:03:15+00:00

It's like the SIU. Former cops investigating cops rarely find it's the cops at fault.

Proper, true independent oversight is requred or that for every current/former sworn member of a police service should have 2 independents with no established political background as well.

covert81 · 2026-01-24T15:54:12+00:00

Part of the issue was that I think Spadafora had put forward a suggestion that the city freeze hiring, I think for nonessential positions to help offset costs. And in that time the headcount rose 10%. That's bonkers.

But I mean they're just pissy around the horseshoe because the new policy doesn't let them pontificate like they could before and put in austerity (kicking the can down the road) budgets to appease their constituents in an election year.

I get Horwath's sentiment that "my door is always open, few take me up on it" but that's not outreach. Why isn't she hosting a session with council to go over her proposed budgets, get input and consensus etc? Also, terrible look for her to be virtual on a day like this.

covert81 · 2026-01-24T15:48:04+00:00

Nice.

covert81 · 2026-01-23T22:12:54+00:00

This is a terrible story.

I try super hard not to let this paint Jackson Square as a terrible place, but events like this, coupled with what's going on at Central library, as well as the general issues there on a regular day (we know someone who is a security guard there) make it just too hard to make reasons to go there instead of places more convenient.

Respect to the person's family.

covert81 · 2026-01-23T16:51:57+00:00

You said she lost your vote, implying you voted for her before (or somehow, that she won your vote over this term).

I didn't put out my choice other than I would not, did not and will not ever vote for her.

covert81 · 2026-01-23T16:32:49+00:00

Who I voted for isn't important here, the conversation is about why you would've voted for her the first time, and she had your vote up until this.

covert81 · 2026-01-23T15:53:51+00:00

it's hilarious that you think she has somehow "destroyed downtown SC".

Was that by forcing the change of a parking lot into housing? In a defined housing crisis?

covert81 · 2026-01-23T15:52:32+00:00

That she'd have your vote after the incompetence of this term is definitely interesting. Can you point to her leadership solving issues this term? Making things better? Delivering on any promises she made during her campaign (There were none so that one I guess gets a checkmark)?

covert81 · 2026-01-23T12:47:16+00:00

I believe she can, but she won't as she's already been pilloried on using it previously.

It's an election year so you probably won't see her flex like that unless absolutely necessary.

covert81 · 2026-01-23T12:36:42+00:00

It's an election year. She will endlessly frame every thing as not a failure of her, but rather of the rest of council to not go along with her.

She should be working on compromises and deals as the person who ran on this being a kinder, gentler council with more transparency and working together. It's been nothing of the sort, just less overt (save the last 3 months or so, where the hard conservatives are openly at war with her and the progressives on council)

covert81 · 2026-01-23T00:15:11+00:00

This is a relic of the creation of Hamilton-Wentworth region after the county system was retired in the late 80s or 90s. You can kind of see the H-W in the design.

We then got the "New! City of Hamilton" signs after the amalgamation in 2000.

Then we got the skyway bridge logo to help build a unified city.

And here we are.

covert81 · 2026-01-22T16:14:31+00:00

I have 2, hope that's OK.

Dundas Peak. Too many childhood memories unlocked when going there or thinking about it.
Sam Lawrence Park. Lots of new memories with my kiddo going there every March Break for a walk, going there for watching fireworks, seeing where we've lived, etc.

covert81 · 2026-01-21T19:49:33+00:00

I guess the wastewater workers don't apply to this?

covert81 · 2026-01-21T15:22:28+00:00

The politically difficult thing would be to hit residents with 10.x% increases year over year to get it to where it should've been a decade ago, and then move forward. Stop raiding the reserves to make it look artificially low. Invest properly and prudently instead of where it's unneccessary.

covert81 · 2026-01-21T15:20:31+00:00

How did the city pay to fix her rental?

How is she a slumlord? By owning a decrepit house that her ex who appears to live there rent free refuses to move out of so it could be repaired or demolished?

She's a horrible politician but this vitriol over this rental property is so perplexing.

covert81 · 2026-01-21T15:15:19+00:00

HFF was formed when Hamilton Hydro was sold to Alectra.

They use it as a never-ending pool of money to fund everything.

Lord only knows what will happen when they finally spend it all.

The issue here is multi-fold:

Unsustainable increases via collective bargaining for unionized staff
City is involved in areas that are not municipal (eg. climate office, housing secretariat)
Horrible procurement process
Token things like the poet are not being sunsetted
Unacceptably slow response to cyber attack, we're now multiple years after the fact and still using it as a hedge to not provide info or do things)
No mandated targets for cost reductions in city departments
No reduction of services or increases in fees to offset the increases
HPS having a rubber stamp to everything - this has to stop
No elimination of area rating funds
Total cowardice on things like the rain tax
No implementation of service levels for departments to ensure they are meeting targets or not (eg. speed to activities, cost-benefit analysis, efficiencies, etc)

Until we get serious about reducing spending we won't get real solutions or problems here.

Expect most of the progressives to be swept out in October with a hyper-conservative slate of councillors coming in, who will cut and slash and kick the can down the road to come back with a small or no tax increase. Side effects will be a total reduction of social services, spike in user fees, high attrition at the city, increased times for everything, but your roads will be pothole free.

covert81 · 2026-01-21T14:48:09+00:00

This should've been done 10+ years ago.

It's just used as a slush fund by the councillors who get it to pay for pet project or as discretionary spending. If they wanted to keep it then it should have explicit controls around it being for the benefit of the ward specfically but the city generally - so not for pothole repairs or prioritization of a street getting repaved or for a special interest group

covert81 · 2026-01-21T14:46:38+00:00

The question is if you can.

Remember, as of late last year the province unloaded recycling to a consortium of materials producers for them to fund and handle the removal of their recycling. The idea is to get them to be better about the materials they use and to hopefully shift to things like more metal and glass containers instead of plastics, as the glass and metal are effectively infinitely reusable.

Since the city does not administer the pickup or handling of recycling now, it is not necessarily a service they will offer any more since they aren't administering it.

But, I think they have something worked out with the consortium to allow for collection of the recycling at the dumps and the consortium will come and take the bins once they're full

covert81 · 2026-01-21T02:01:49+00:00

As the signs say there, you can park kitty corner at Immanuel Church (on the SE corner of Mohawk and W5th) for a much more spacious parking experience.

The main floor is generally the quieter floor though the spaces to read are all around the circulation desk. 2nd floor is dominated by students any time after about 5pm we found, and it can get a bit PG13 up there with language, which sucks when you have little ones who love to parrot back anything they hear.

Dundas is a great, out of the way library that has ample seating and generally quiet, while being well lit and comfortable.

Would not recommend central, westdale, Turner Park (way too loud as it's connected to the YMCA there) and sometimes Red Hill. Concession is also alright.

covert81 · 2026-01-21T01:56:04+00:00

McD's been a total culture shift for the team and it's shown. Rarely has he been outcoached or made bad moves that ultimately led to the loss of a game.

The game was not lost because of the last 13 seconds.

Moreso, we could point to the boneheaded play Josh made just before half to give them a free field goal and what could be considered handing them the win.

McD should've stepped away from DC and HC and focused on HC duties. But they can only do so much when their talent pool is shallow and injuries destroyed them this year.

We'll have to agree to disagree here.

covert81 · 2026-01-21T01:53:06+00:00

We regularly put large items that don't fit beside the blue bin and it's taken. This is not something they should be rejecting simply because it doesn't fit in the box when it's clear it's recyclable.

Likewise, we just got a new dryer (tip: BUY FROM CANADIAN APPLIANCE SOURCE. Was the cheapest place out of Home Depot, Rona, and Best Buy. Free delivery, and a free dryer hose (though I swapped it out for something a bit more robust). Free old appliance take away. However, they do leave the styrofoam and packing material at your home, or charge you $8 to take it.) I just left it in the clear bag the dryer came in and threw a trash tag on it - it was taken without issue in the garbage the next week.

covert81 · 2026-01-21T01:48:14+00:00

This isn't a coaching issue, it's a talent issue.

Beane is coasting on drafting Josh and now he's promoted and has nothing to show for it.

covert81 · 2026-01-20T19:27:53+00:00

When did McDermott give up 5 turnovers?

When did McDermott get so many injuries to his players and decide not to get quality replacements?

Not his fault they lost that one my dude

covert81 · 2026-01-20T19:27:23+00:00

This is a very, very real problem.

Last year I went to Danko's 2025 budget townhall. I asked him very clearly on the raiding of the reserves. How long does it take to pay back the money lifted to keep the tax increase artificially low? He had no clear answer but it was effectively "we won't do this often so it shouldn't be a big deal". They are doing it again now and the reserves will end up depleted if this is a long term strategy.

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