2026 Hamilton Mayoral Election: Rob Cooper

Number one is taxes.

So as we all know, over the last four years, we've got a 23% tax increase.

What did we get with that? We got worse roads in Ontario, violent crime in the place of Hamilton we never saw before, homelessness at levels we've never seen before, no financial statements at the city for the last three years.

And I'm not talking odd.

I'm talking interim.

And you know what I'm talking about there, Joey? Planning, worse in the province.

Approvals, worse in Canada.

So what we proved is that with a 23% tax increase, you know, throwing money against problems, our lives got worse.

We can't throw money against problems.

So, you know, and what I've also found at the doors, people said to me, listen, Rob, I can't afford these tax increase.

I'm on fixed income.

I didn't get that 23% tax increase.

I'm going to be homeless, especially seniors.

You know, that's where it's so important that we get our arms around this tax rate.

And we've just recently seen the city come up with the next three years, 31%.

Now it's 25%.

We got the mayor now talking about the idea she's going to do inflation.

You have no financial statements.

You have taxes flopping around like that.

It makes no sense to anybody.

But we got to start running the city like people run their homes.

And you don't do 23% more than what you're making or 31%.

People live on rate of inflation.

We got to get the city on a budget.

And that budget has to be tied to rate of inflation.