Mayor Andrea Horwath invites residents to share their priorities for the 2026 tax budget

Understanding Trade-Offs

The budget process requires balancing community priorities with affordability. A balanced approach requires choices about where to focus. Through these engagement opportunities, residents can learn more about how the budget works, explore potential trade-offs and share their priorities to help guide decisions.

“A budget is more than numbers – it’s a reflection of our community’s values and priorities and is shaped by the voices of our residents,” said City Manager Marnie Cluckie. “Your feedback will help inform our decisions to ensure the budget delivers on the high-quality services and programs our community relies on, while protecting affordability for our residents. Together, we can build a budget that supports a vibrant and inclusive Hamilton.”

Next Steps

Feedback collected through the fall engagement sessions, survey and the Balancing Act Budget Tool will be presented to Council in November 2025 to inform the Mayor’s directive and the development of the 2026 budget. 

For more information and to get involved, visit hamilton.ca/budget2026.

Quick Facts:

• The City of Hamilton offers over 70 daily city services including parks, recreation, transit, emergency services and waste programs.
• 58 per cent of property taxes fund City services; the remaining 42 per cent supports boards and agencies, education and provincially funded programs such as Public Health Services, long-term care, paramedics, housing, Ontario Works and Children’s Services.
• The City’s annual budget has two main components:
  • Tax Supported Budget: Supports day-to-day operations, including employee salaries, materials and supplies, contractual services and financing of capital projects, funded largely by property tax, government grants and user fees.
  • Water Rate Budget: Covers the operating and capital costs of water, wastewater and stormwater services, funded by user rates, government grants, development charges, reserves and long-term debt.