Posted inCity Council Meetings, Videos

Hamilton City Council GIC for February 1, 2017: Ward Boundaries and More

by Joey Coleman

Hamilton City Council meet for their first GIC of February, the headline issue was the final vote on Ward Boundary reform. Councillors voted for their own gerrymandered wards, despite a clear warning from expert consultants that the gerrymander will be indefensible at a Ontario Municipal Board hearing.
Councillors also received a task force report on workforce development, which will guide numerous private and public sector partners in the coming year.
Full video replay.

Posted inCity Council Meetings, Council Standing Committees, Videos

Hamilton City Council for January 27, 2017: 2017 HSR Budget Debate

by Joey Coleman

City Council debated the 2017 HSR budget. The budget proposal was based upon the Council approved 10-year transit strategy, and the year three budget calls for Council to invest in transit after two years of incremental improvements funded primarily by fare increases.
Council voted to ask the HSR’s Director to return with budget proposals of a 3% or 1.8% budget increase.
Full Video Replay

Posted inCity Council Meetings, City Hall, Council Standing Committees, Videos

Hamilton City Council for January 26, 2017: Library and Police Budgets

by Joey Coleman

Hamilton City Council received and debated the 2017 Hamilton Public Library and Police Board Budgets.
The Library budget received extra attention – in the form of praise – from City Councillors following comments the week prior by Councillor Donna Skelly questioning the relevance of libraries in the Internet Age.
Full Video Replay

Posted inCouncil Standing Committees

Citizen Seeks Public Police Spending Ledgers, FOI Request Denied. His Letter to Council:

by Joey Coleman

The following letter was submitted by Hamilton resident, and retired public sector accountant, Shekar Chandrashekar, to City Council. Chandrashekar has been tireless in his efforts to bring transparency to civic finances in all departments, and has recently been trying to get the public police account ledgers. The information is legally public, held by the City, […]

Posted inCouncil Standing Committees, Videos

Hamilton City Council Audit, Finance, and Administration Committee for January 23, 2017

by Joey Coleman

Council’s Audit, Finance, and Administration Committee heard a delegation from Shekar Chandrashekar asking for Council to make public police financial information available to the public – Council voted to ask staff to report on the request. At the end of the meeting – after a closed session debate – Councillors on the committee voted 3-3 against moving the City’s Transgender Policy proposal to the General Issues Committee. The policy will return to AF&A at a future date.
Full Video Replay