The Bay Observer recently published two articles on the budget process in Hamilton:
Five Hamilton Councillors in revolt over 2025 Budget Process
Budget process in Hamilton put flaws in strong mayor legislation out for all to see
The Bay Observer’s Take on Strong Mayor Powers
“When Doug Ford introduced the strong mayor powers he said it was to accelerate housing starts, which his government insisted were being held up by restrictive municipal planning processes. He sweetened the pot by offering cities that went along with strong mayors to share in extra housing cash if they met certain targets. The problem today, is that there are no house buyers because of affordability issues and a glut of condominiums that people don’t want to live in, and municipalities no longer qualify for the extra money. While the strong mayor powers have done nothing to solve the housing process, they have stripped away an important democratic right from councillors and from the public that elected them, effectively disenfranchising the public and their representatives to determine how tax dollars are spent. Assuming Ford obtains the four-year mandate he is seeking, he should move to fix this unworkable mess at his earliest opportunity.”