Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath has resigned from the Hamilton Police Service Board.
The news came shortly after this month’s Police Board meeting began, without Mayor Horwath present.
In a statement, Mayor Horwath wrote:
“As a result of scheduling conflicts, I’ve decided to step down from the Police Services Board.
With strong Council and community voices in place, this is the right time for another member of council to give the role the focus it deserves, especially as the Board begins its important planning work.
I’m grateful to my fellow members for their commitment and remain supportive of the Board’s efforts to build community safety in Hamilton.”
The Mayor of Hamilton automatically sits on the Police Board, the Community Safety and Policing Act designates one of the seven Board seats to the Mayor.
City Council will now need to debate and appoint a replacement member from amongst themselves.
The unexpected announcement comes less than three months after she announced she will “absolutely” seek re-election in 2026.
Mayor Horwath Explains Her Decision
Following the City’s budget town hall late Thursday evening, I asked Mayor Horwath about her decision to resign from the Police Service Board.
“Your statement says that you have scheduling conflicts,” I asked.
Mayor Horwath:
“I have a hard time making the meetings. My schedule is just intense. And we’ve had a couple of things happen. As you know, we’ve had the Community Safety and Policing Act changes, which were also very intense. We have committees that need attention, and I cannot find the time to serve on committees, let alone show up to all the board meetings. It’s really been tough for me.
“But we haven’t had a full complement of board members for the entire term of council. There has not been a full complement. I realized a while back that I wasn’t giving it the attention that it deserves. And so I’ve made a commitment to myself that I would wait until the full complement was in place before I stepped away, because that’s the fair thing to do. And so the full complement is in place and I am doing exactly what I need to do.
“I’m not thrilled that I have to do this, but there’s only so much time in a day, and there’s only so much work that can be accomplished. And I just cannot put the time and the commitment and the effort into that board that it deserves and that the other board members deserve, frankly, and that the service deserves. So that’s why.”
“What does this mean for your commitment to crime and addressing crime?” I asked.
Mayor Horwath:
“It remains where it has always been. In fact, going through some of these processes that we’ve had these [Budget Town Hall] meetings, you’ll have seen some of the dotmocracy slides that public health and safety, public safety has been significantly identified by residents in all parts of the city.
“And so I’ve not at all stepped away from my commitment to making sure that we’re doing everything we can to make our community safe for everyone and every part of the city. I just can’t do it through that venue. I can do it as the mayor and I will continue to do that. No doubt. Absolutely.”
“Is there anything you wish to add on this topic?” I asked.
Mayor Horwath:
“Just that I appreciate the work of the other board members. And, you know, I look forward to their decisions. There’s an important effort that’s coming. So not only the Community Policing and Safety Act, but they have to embark on a new strategic plan.
“And I know I would not have had time to really engage in that. And so that’s another reason why I needed to step back, because they need to have people there, and the council needs to have an appointee there that is prepared to do that work because it’s important. It’s the next strategic plan.”
Production Details
v. 1.0.0
Published: September 25, 2025
Last updated: September 25, 2025
Author: Joey Coleman
Update Record
v. 1.0.0 original version
v. 1.1.0 added transcript of Mayor's response to questions regarding her decision.