It’s not just the provincial government that’s the problem. Under the Trump-imposed NATO defence spending target, Mark Carney has suggested that it would require an additional $45 to $50 billion a year to comply. Even at the lower figure, that’s $1121 for every person in Canada.
Pro-rating that to Hamilton’s current population would result in a boost to the City budget of $638,510,525 a year. That’s more than a quarter (26.6%) of the $2.4 billion tax-supported budget for 2025.
It would be a fascinating exercise to contemplate what additional services could be provided for that amount of additional funding.