The average Hamilton tax and water bills will go up about $120 combined this year — a hike designed to expand bus service, improve sewage treatment and bump up your local crossing guard to a "living wage."

Other part-time city workers will need to wait until at least 2020 to start seeing that same boost to $15.85 per hour, however.

Councillors largely settled the 2019 net levy budget — the part you are taxed for — at around $888 million on Friday, with just a symbolic sign-off needed next week.

The city actually spends more than $2.2 billion each year, but the rest of the cash comes from sources like government grants, reserves, development charges and transit fares.

The upshot: The "average" Hamilton owner of a home worth $358,600 will pay an extra $88 in taxes and $32 in water and sewer fees.

That puts the average combined tax and water bill at around $4,281. But be warned: the average tax hike will actually vary widely by ward — as low as 1.5 per cent and as high as 4.5 per cent — depending on assessed property values and area-rated services. (Expect exact numbers for your area next week.)

Notable budget increases include a 4.6 per cent water rate hike that will help pay for an ongoing sewage treatment plant upgrade. That $340 million overhaul — one of the largest infrastructure projects in Hamilton's history — should vastly improve the quality of treated sewage dumped into Red Hill Creek.

The transit budget spiked by 14 per cent, too, to $75 million. HSR riders should be happy to see $1.8 million of that increase go to bus frequency improvements both in the lower city and on the Mountain — but maybe less happy about a 10-cent fare hike.

The most difficult budget argument of the day came over a proposal from Coun. Nrinder Nann to boost pay for part-time, occasional and seasonal city workers to a "living wage" of at least $15.85 an hour. That's the locally calculated minimum necessary to allow a household to meet its basic needs.

Nann called the pay boost an "opportunity as an employer to lift people up" and set an example for other businesses to help struggling and marginalized workers "breathe a little easier, sleep a little better."

The city already pays all its full-time workers at least a living wage, but summer students and part-time workers like crossing guards, library pages, dietary aides, servers, snack bar attendants and arena monitors make closer to minimum wage. Bumping pay for all them would add $1.2 million to the annual budget.

The debate sent councillors behind closed doors for an hour after human resources director Lora Fontana warned a pay change now could have implications for ongoing contract negotiations with the city's largest union, CUPE Local 5167.

(Acting union head Jay Hunter said by phone that CUPE 5167 is a supporter of the living wage philosophy, but added he couldn't comment on anything related to ongoing contract negotiations.)

Most councillors expressed support for boosting pay for the city's 200-plus crossing guards after staff noted the majority are seniors, often women, who work about 40 weeks a year.

But several balked at boosting pay for high school students.

Coun. Brenda Johnson said she didn't want adult crossing guards tasked with protecting children in the same pay category as "someone who sells Cheezies" at the local arena.

That prompted Coun. Sam Merulla to fire back that selling snacks doesn't "make someone inferior." He implored councillors to "at least move the yardstick" in 2019, noting anti-poverty advocates ask for the living-wage change every year.

In the end, councillors opted bump up crossing guards immediately and ask legal staff to report back in time for the 2020 budget on how to extend living wage pay to the remainder of city workers over three years.

"It needs to happen as soon as possible. It has been put off many times ... there will always be reasons to put it off," said Tom Cooper, who heads the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction.

He argued low-income workers are already suffering from the new Progressive Conservative government's decision to freeze the minimum wage. "Hamilton needs to be a leader and show our workers they are valued."

Average tax hikes by year

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2019: 2.5% ($88)

2018: 1.9% ($76)

2017: 2.1% ($81)

2016: 1.7% ($63)

2015: 2.7% ($99)

Capital budget refresher

Total infrastructure spending: $227 million

Roads/bridges: $96 million

New buses/other transit: $24 million

West harbour revamp: $8 million

Affordable housing: $7.5 million

Forestry/ horticulture: $4.5 million

mvandongen@thespec.com

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