The 2018 Hamilton municipal election occurred on October 22, 2018, as per the Ontario Municipal Elections Act, 1996.Government of Ontario, "Municipal Elections Act, 1996", S.O. 1996, Chapter 32. Residents of Hamilton selected one mayor, members of the Hamilton City Council, and members of both the English and French public and Catholic school boards.City Clerk's Office, City of Hamilton Corporate Services. "Municipal Election Candidates" , City of Hamilton (Accessed June 12, 2012)
On election day, Hamiltonians re-elected Fred Eisenberger to serve his third term as mayor of the City of Hamilton. He is the first mayor since amalgamation to be re-elected for two consecutive terms.
Issues Council ward boundary reform In June 2012, councillors committed $260,000 to conduct a study that would examine boundary reform in 2015, with a proposal to come forward regarding changes for the 2018 municipal election.Reilly, Emma. "Councillors commit to ward boundary review; Study to conclude in time for 2018 municipal election", Hamilton Spectator, June 26, 2012, News, A1. This was following the 2006–2010 and 2010–2014 councils opting to push an examination of ward boundaries into the next council term.Dreschel, Andrew. "Council tosses ward review forward; Inner city lacks representation, but councillors are willing to wait", Hamilton Spectator, April 11, 2012, Opinion, A15.
The issue arose during the 2014 municipal election, with Hamilton's three top mayoral contenders supporting ward boundary reform during their campaigns.Dreschel, Andrew, "Candidates need position on ward sizes," Hamilton Spectator, August 13, 2014. In early 2015, councillors approved city staff's request to put out a call for proposals for the consultants who would examine ward boundaries.Werner, Kevin, "Hamilton to review ward boundaries," Flamborough Review, April 2, 2015. The successful bidders, Watson and Associates Economists Ltd., then began a process of public consultation and examination. Throughout February 2016, community consolation meetings were held across Hamilton to inform the public and collect feedback from residents.Hamilton Mountain News. "Hamilton ward boundary review meetings set for February," February 5, 2016.
The final report presented a number of options for changing the city's existing boundaries. On February 8, 2017, councillors voted to reject the consultant reports and redraw the city's ward boundaries themselves, opting to avoid any substantial boundary changes, except for a minor ascetic alteration to the boundary between Ward 6 and Ward 7 on the East Mountain.Werner, Kevin. "Hamilton politicians finalize revised ward boundary structure," Stoney Creek News, February 11, 2017. The change was controversial, with community tensions flaring at the approval meeting. Robert Williams, one of the consultants the city hired to study the boundaries told council Watson and Associates could not support the changes, saying, "I've told you in black and white, we couldn't endorse it."Van Dongen, Matthew. "Councillors vote for own Hamilton ward boundary changes despite consultant's warnings," Hamilton Spectator, February 2, 2017. Ward 3 Councillor Matthew Green stated that he believed the approved wards were councillors 'gerrymandering' boundaries.
In response to the controversy, local residents appealed council's decision to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB).Van Dongen, Matthew. "Ward boundary battle hits OMB," Hamilton Spectator, October 24, 2017. After holding a series of hearings in October, the OMB struck down the city's redrawn boundaries and imposed a new electoral map for the 2018 election.Moro, Teviah. "OMB rejects Hamilton council's ‘preferred’ ward boundary plan," Hamilton Spectator, December 13, 2017. The new map eliminated a distinct ward for the former municipality of Wentworth, and significantly altered boundaries across the city, most notably providing another ward to the city's West Mountain.
In January, 2018, local media reported that a group of residents from Hamilton's suburbs, working under the name "Free Flamborough", had taken issue with the imposed boundaries and council's decision to not pursue an appeal. The group, led by Flamborough resident Roman Sarachman, had begun exploring options such as launching legal action against the municipal government, or pressuring the provincial government for the right to de-amalgamate from HamiltonWerner, Kevin. "Flamborough residents contemplating legal action against Hamilton over ward boundary decision," Ancaster News, January 22, 2018.
School board ward boundary reform The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board's (HWDSB) attempt to reallocate the ward boundaries for trustees in 2013 also resulted in the decision to task the 2014–2018 Board with examining ward boundary reform after city council redraws boundaries.Teri Pecoskie, "Board learns lesson, no need for ward change", Hamilton Spectator, Tuesday, December 10, 2013 Following the OMB decision on Hamilton's council wards, the HWDSB and Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board (HWCDSB) sought relief from a provincially-imposed March 31, 2018 deadline to update their respective ward boundaries, but were denied a stay by the provinces' Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Ministry of Education
The HWCDSB was the first board to meet the provincially-imposed deadline, with Catholic trustees opting to abandon their long-standing practice of having two trustees elected for Ward 9, 10, and 11, and instead establishing single trustee seats for Ward 1, 2, and 15, Ward 8 and 14, Ward 9 and 11, and Ward 12 and 13. In mandating a single trustee for Ward 1, 2, and 15, the HWCDSB created the first non-contiguous electoral ward in the city's history.Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board, "Trustees approve new electoral trustee distribution," March 20, 2018, Accessed July 9, 2018.
The HWDSB initially proposed merging the newly constituted West Mountain Wards 8 and 14, as well as considering options that would blend Wards 5 and 10, and 9 and 11. Following a public survey in which 47 percent of respondents approved of the board's proposed changes, trustees voted 9–1 to pair Wards 8 and 14.Leitner, Richard. "Hamilton public school trustees approve realigned ward couplings," Hamilton Mountain News, April 10, 2018.
Ranked ballots Following the 2014 provincial election, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Ted McMeekin, announced the province would be reexamining the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 to determine if the length and voting systems of Ontario's municipal elections needed alterations. Part of the reexamination was a proposal that would have allowed municipalities to adopt a ranked ballot system for the 2018 municipal elections.
In June 2015, Hamilton's manager of elections, Tony Fallis, commented that the system would confuse electors, while Ward 3 councillor Matthew Green called the system a "fantastic opportunity."Werner, Kevin, "Ontario's ranked ballot system will “confuse” Hamilton voters, says manager of elections," Stoney Creek News, June 8, 2015. The following month, Green invited ranked ballot-advocate Dave Meslin to speak in Hamilton on the issue, sparking a call for a citizen's group to promote the proposed electoral system.Nolan, Dan, "Ranked ballot voting to be promoted in Hamilton," Hamilton Spectator, July 9, 2015. Mayor Eisenberger spoke favourably about the new system and indicated he was willing to consider it for the 2018 election.Werner, Kevin, "Mayor Fred Eisenberger supports changes to Hamilton's voting system," Hamilton Mountain News, March 28, 2015.
Despite this, in November, 2016, councillors rejected an attempt by Ward 3 Councillor Matthew Green to initiate a study into the feasibility of ranked balloting. Opponents of the plan called ranked ballots 'confusing' and worried they would hinder voter turnout. Council ultimately voted 9–5 against making any moves toward the change.Van Dongen, Matthew. "Hamilton councillors reject ranked ballot voting," Hamilton Spectator, November 17, 2016.
Light rail transit
Beginning in 2008, city council and Metrolinx, the transit agency responsible for projects across the Toronto and Hamilton areas, developed plans for a new rapid transit system in Hamilton to ease congestion on the city's Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) system. In September, 2008, a city-commissioned survey found that 94% of Hamiltonians surveyed supported investment in rapid transit with 66% supporting light rail transit (LRT), 8% favouring bus rapid transit (BRT), and 20% endorsing either option."Vast majority support a rapid transit system", Hamilton Spectator, September 22, 2008
Hamilton City Council endorsed the BLAST network plan in 2008, which called for five rapid transit lines to be constructed across the city."Hamilton to push for LRT", Hamilton Spectator, October 20, 2008
In 2014, the city's mayoral campaign focused heavily on the light rail issue, with Eisenberger and challenger Brian McHattie taking a position in favour of light rail while candidate Brad Clark opposed the project. Eisenberger won the race with 39.93%, while McHattie took 20.38%. Clark, who placed second, received 31.53% of the vote. Across Hamilton, pro-LRT councillors were elected with the express goal of supporting the project.
In early 2015, activists feared the HSR had abandoned hope the project would be successful, as the agency's new director, Dave Dixon, had submitted for council's approval a request for new express buses totaling $302 million.Van Dongen, Matthew. "Will bus battle kill Hamilton's LRT dream?; Mayor says asking for HSR cash could put light rail funding low on province's priority list." Hamilton Spectator, March 6, 2015, LexisNexis, accessed September 13, 2018.
Fears were abated in May, 2015, when Premier Kathleen Wynne and Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca announced the provincial government would fund the city's LRT project at 100% and invest in the construction of a new GO Train station in Stoney Creek at Centennial Parkway.Van Dongen, Matthew. "Wynne promises $1-billion for Hamilton LRT, GO transit." Hamilton Spectator, May 26, 2015, LexisNexis, accessed September 13, 2018.
While the initial plan announced by the provincial government was to construct the city's B-Line LRT line with a 'spur' line to the West Harbour GO Station, in 2017, Metrolinx announced the 'spur' would be dropped from the project in favour of express bus service that would feed into the city's existing A-Line express bus line.Dreschel, Andrew. "James North LRT spur line out, express bus service in; Metrolinx expected to announce bus service between waterfront and Hamilton airport." Hamilton Spectator, January 13, 2017, LexisNexis, accessed September 13, 2018.
During the 2018 Ontario Provincial Election campaign, the Progressive Conservative Party sought to attract the support of anti-LRT advocates by suggesting the party would be open to disbursing the earmarked $1 billion for LRT to the city for use on general infrastructure. This caused Ward 6 councillor Tom Jackson, Ward 8 councillor Terry Whitehead, and Ward 12 councillor Lloyd Ferguson to openly discuss changing their votes in favour of LRT if the Progressive Conservatives won the June 7 vote.Dreschel, Andrew. "Ford 'ploy' has council re-thinking LRT support; They ponder other ways to spend $1 billion." Hamilton Spectator, April 6, 2018 Friday, LexisNexis, accessed September 13, 2018.
Mayoral election