Not the full picture. Built from public records, which leave things out.Read by hand, Oct 2026Details
This is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date. Check the sources, and tell us if you spot a mistake. What this site can't tell youRead by hand. We read Hamilton's own documents for this site in October 2026; the Sources page lists which ones. The comparisons with other places still come from the Province's yearly reports.
Council
Who decides, and how you can hold them to account
Hamilton is run by an elected council of 5 people. They set the budget, approve big purchases and hire the senior staff who run the town day to day.
Current council
- MayorScott Jibb
- Deputy MayorLarry Williamson
- CouncillorMark Lovshin
- CouncillorJohn Davison
- CouncillorBruce Buttar
Names and official email addresses from the town's council page. None of the members lists a public social media account there.
What council is paid
Every year the town has to publish what each council member was paid, and what was spent on their benefits and expenses. These are the totals from those statements, 2023 to 2024.
| Member | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Scott Jibb Mayor | $30,434+ $2,506 | $30,758+ $2,501 |
| Larry Williamson Deputy Mayor | $25,051+ $709 | $25,631+ $3,175 |
| Mark Lovshin Councillor | $20,771+ $3,644 | $20,980+ $2,954 |
| John Davison Councillor | $19,571+ $2,334 | $21,055+ $2,667 |
| Bruce Buttar Councillor | $19,346+ $3,552 | $19,630+ $2,987 |
Top number: pay. Second number: benefits and expenses together, such as health cover, mileage, conferences and training. Exactly what goes in it differs a little from town to town; the note below says what this town’s statement includes. Some members take the town’s health plan and some do not, so a higher second number is not a problem by itself. The statements give only totals; the receipts behind them can be requested from the clerk.
Each year links to the town's statement. From the Treasurer's statements to council under the Municipal Act, 2001, s. 284 (2023, and report T-2025-02 for 2024). "Pay" is the printed Salary plus Other Meetings. "Other" is everything else in the printed total: employer EHT, CPP and benefits, mileage, conferences, and amounts for the conservation authority and police board. It is worked out by us as the printed total minus pay, so each member's pay and other add up to the printed total (the printed 2024 total for one member is $1 above the sum of its parts). The 2025 statement (report T-2026-03) is posted, but its text comes out of the PDF with some columns detached from their rows, so no 2025 figures by member are shown.
How open is Hamilton?
What a resident can find online without asking, as of October 5, 2026.
- YesBudgets posted online
The 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 township and water operations budgets are posted as PDFs on one page. Source
- YesAudited financial statements
Statements for 2022 to 2025 are posted. The 2025 statements carry a clean opinion ("present fairly") from Baker Tilly KDN LLP dated May 29, 2026. The 2024 statements carry the same kind of opinion dated June 17, 2025. Source
- YesCouncil pay statements (Municipal Act s. 284)
Statements for 2022 to 2025 are posted. The 2025 table's text is broken up in the PDF, so the pack uses 2023 and 2024 only. Source
- UnknownAgendas and minutes
The Township's page sends readers to a CivicWeb portal. That host's robots.txt asks all automated readers to stay out, so we did not read any agenda or minutes, and cannot say how current they are. Agendas are said to be posted the Friday before each meeting. Source
- UnknownMeeting recordings
The Township says meetings are streamed on YouTube and recordings stay there. We did not check. Source
- UnknownTender results
The Township has a Bids and Tenders page. We did not read it. Source
Where the town speaks for itself
Hamilton's official channels, as linked from its own website. Council members may also post on their own pages; we link only to official municipal channels.
- Township of Hamilton on YouTube
The Township says council and committee meetings are streamed live and recordings are kept on its YouTube channel. We did not check which meetings are posted.
- Township of Hamilton on Facebook
Linked from the Township's website. We did not read it.
Ask for the records
Anyone can ask the town for its records under Ontario's Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA). You do not have to say why. Here is how it works, and the wording for the records that would answer the questions on this site.
- Send the request in writing to the town clerk (the freedom of information coordinator), on the town’s form or in a letter, with the $5 application fee.
- Describe the records, not the answer you want. Dates, departments and the kind of record (a list, invoices, emails) make a request quicker and cheaper.
- The town has 45 business days to answer (the law changed in 2026; older guides say 30 days). It can charge for search time and copies, but must send an estimate first if the fees will be over $25.
- Some parts can be held back, such as legal advice or personal information about other people. The town must say which part of the law it relied on.
- If you are refused, or the fees seem too high, you can appeal to the Information and Privacy Commissioner within 30 business days of the town’s decision.
The town's request form (on its Forms page) · The law · Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
Reports behind the $9,000,000 fire facility forecast for 2030 to 2032
Table 105 of the 2026 budget lists a "Facility" of $3,000,000 in each of 2030, 2031 and 2032 without saying what it is. Related question: Is the Township setting aside enough to replace its roads, buildings and equipment as they wear out, and how will it pay for a new fire facility?.
Show the request wordingHide the wording
Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the staff reports, master plan sections and cost estimates that support the "Facility" line of $3,000,000 in each of 2030, 2031 and 2032 in Table 105, Fire Facility Forecast, of the Township's 2026 Approved Budget.
Kennedy Road water capital cost and its funding
The statements show $277,572 of unfunded water capital for Kennedy Road, to be reduced by long-term debt, and the water budget notes approved debt funding of $879k in 2021 to 2022. Related question: Is the water system paying its own way, and when will the unfunded Kennedy Road water work be paid for?.
Show the request wordingHide the wording
Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the council reports and by-laws that approved the Kennedy Road water project and its financing, the total project cost, and a statement of how much of the approved debt funding has been borrowed as of December 31, 2025.
Fire calls recoverable: amounts billed and collected, 2023 to 2025
The 2026 budget counts on $135,000, and the 2025 preliminary actual was $76,290. Related question: Why is the fire department's tax-funded budget rising 17.9% in 2026, and why does it count on $135,000 in fire-call recoveries?.
Show the request wordingHide the wording
Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request a summary by year for 2023, 2024 and 2025 of the amounts billed and the amounts collected under "Fire Calls Recoverable", and the report or note that supports the 2026 budget amount of $135,000.
The wording is a starting point, not legal advice. Narrow the dates if the town says a request is too broad or too costly.
How to raise a concern
From the gentlest step to the most serious. Start at the top.
Integrity Commissioner
The Township's council page names Aird Berlis LLP as its Integrity Commissioner, for advice, Code of Conduct complaints and education. We did not find any Integrity Commissioner reports on the pages we read.
Registry of declarations of interest
The Municipal Clerk keeps a registry of each time a member declares an interest at a meeting, with links to the form and the minutes. It lists entries for the 2018-2022 and 2022-2026 terms. We did not build any finding on it.