Residents could see a tax hike in the 2017 city budget

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Some Hamilton city councillors are calling the 2017 budget one of the toughest they’ve dealt with in years. As it stands now, some residents could see a tax hike of 6% or higher. That works out to be an average increase of about $200 dollars a year. That rate is based on a house assessed at $295 000. If based on the preliminary budget, wards 1 and 3 would be the hardest hit. Residents there seeing a potential spike above the average 6%.

Ward 3 councillor Matthew Green says there are benefits,
“Our house valuation has gone up dramatically 16-17-18 % house prices in our neighbourhood are incredibly high right now which means residents are experiencing and realizing some massive uplift in their equity.”

But those benefits would hit lower income families the hardest. Green says the potential hike, while it is preliminary, meets the needs of a growing city. The other issue on the table was a water increase of about $30 annually for a variety of service improvements. Hamilton is known for its aging infrastructure something mayor Fred Eisenberger says will need to continue to be a priority.
“Water and sewer is a critical need in our community and we have an enormous backlog of work we need to do.”

The city will also look to find more than 30 million in cuts. Jobs and services are being looked at.