ISSUES THAT MATTER.
Listening to residents. Looking at the facts. Finding practical solutions.
During my conversations with Hamilton Township residents, a number of specific concerns have already been raised.
Property taxes. Garbage tag fees. Speeding. Property standards. Short-term rentals.
There will undoubtedly be others as the campaign continues.
I don't believe the responsible approach is to hear a concern and immediately make an election promise.
My approach is different:
Listen to the concern. Understand the facts. Determine who is responsible. Examine the options and costs. Then take a position.
This page will continue to evolve throughout the campaign as I listen to residents and research the issues they raise.
1. PROPERTY TAXES & AFFORDABILITY
Residents are asking where their money is going.
THE CONCERN
Property taxes represent a significant household expense, and some Hamilton Township residents have experienced substantial increases over the years.
Residents have every right to ask whether they're receiving good value for the taxes they pay.
WHAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND
How Hamilton Township Property Taxes Work.
When Hamilton Township residents receive their property tax bill, it is important to understand that not all of that money stays with the Township. Hamilton Township collects the full property tax bill, but in the Township's 2026 budget example, approximately 45 cents of every tax dollar is retained by Hamilton Township, 44 cents goes to Northumberland County, and 11 cents goes toward education/local school boards. Your tax bill is calculated using your property's assessed value and the applicable tax rates; however, Hamilton Township does not determine your property's assessed value—that is the responsibility of the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC). This means that when residents ask why their property taxes are increasing, we need to look at more than just the Township budget. We need to understand changes in the Township levy, County levy, education portion, assessment and tax rates and clearly identify which costs Hamilton Township Council can actually control. If we're going to have a serious conversation about property taxes, residents deserve to know where every tax dollar goes, who controls it, and what they're receiving in return.
QUESTIONS I THINK WE SHOULD BE ASKING:
What services are residents receiving for their tax dollars?
How much spending is within Hamilton Township Council's control?
Where are costs increasing and why?
Are there opportunities for efficiencies?
Are we planning properly for future infrastructure costs?
Are residents receiving good value for their money?
MY APPROACH
I'm not going to promise an arbitrary tax cut without understanding what would have to be reduced to achieve it.
But neither will I accept tax increases as inevitable without asking questions.
Every tax dollar should have a purpose, and Council should be able to explain that purpose to the people paying the bill.
2. GARBAGE TAGS
Residents are asking whether the system is fair and affordable.
THE CONCERN
Garbage tag fees have been raised with me by residents who question both their cost and the overall system. In addition, residents that once had their garbage picked up at their property, now do not.
Is the current system the best and fairest way to pay for garbage collection?
Garbage tag fees are an issue residents have already raised with me. In 2026, Northumberland County requires a tag on every household garbage bag placed at the curb, with a maximum of two bags per week under normal collection rules. The County currently sets the base price at $4.25 per tag, although retailers are permitted to add a handling charge of up to 10%, making the maximum retail price $4.68 per tag.
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?
This distinction is important.
Northumberland County, not Hamilton Township, manages curbside garbage collection, green-bin collection and the garbage-tag program for Hamilton Township residents.
That means a Hamilton Township Councillor cannot simply vote at Township Council to eliminate garbage tags.
However, Hamilton Township residents also elect representatives who sit on Northumberland County Council, and Township Council can advocate on issues affecting its residents. That makes understanding the system—and what alternatives might cost—important.
WHY DO WE HAVE GARBAGE TAGS?
Northumberland County describes its system as “partial user pay.” Bag-tag revenue pays part of the cost of garbage collection and disposal, while the remaining cost is funded through property taxes.
The County says charging directly for garbage creates an incentive for residents to divert material away from landfill by using recycling, green-bin and leaf-and-yard-waste programs instead. The County's long-term waste strategy has focused on reducing the amount of residential waste going to its remaining active landfill.
This means eliminating garbage tags wouldn't necessarily eliminate the cost.
The question becomes: How else would we pay for garbage collection?
If more of the cost were moved onto property taxes, households producing very little garbage could potentially pay more while households producing more garbage could pay less than under a user-pay system.
That's a discussion worth having—but residents should have the numbers before deciding which approach is fairer.
QUESTIONS I THINK WE SHOULD BE ASKING
How much does the garbage-tag program actually recover toward the total cost of garbage collection and disposal?
How much of the system is already being funded through property taxes?
Has the $4.25 price been justified by the actual cost of providing the service?
What administrative costs are involved in operating the tag system itself?
Would eliminating or reducing tag fees simply result in higher County property taxes?
Would a different system be more affordable or equitable for residents?
Does the current system create particular difficulties for larger families, seniors or residents with special waste-disposal needs?
There is already at least one recognition of special circumstances: Northumberland County offers a medical-waste subsidy that can provide free bag tags to qualifying residents who generate unusually large amounts of waste because of a medical condition.
ANOTHER COST WORTH WATCHING
Garbage tags aren't the only waste-related fee residents pay.
Effective April 1, 2026, Northumberland County increased garbage disposal charges at its Community Recycling Centres from a minimum of $13 per 100 kg to $15 per 100 kg, with the rate increasing from $130 to $150 per tonne.
The County said operating costs had risen since the disposal fees were last updated in 2020.
For Hamilton Township residents, that includes the Bewdley Community Recycling Centre.
MY APPROACH
I understand why residents question paying garbage-tag fees on top of their property taxes.
But before promising to eliminate the tags, I want to know exactly what the program costs, how much revenue the tags generate, how much residents are already paying through property taxes and what replacing the system would mean for the average household.
If eliminating a $4.25 garbage tag simply moves the same cost onto the property-tax bill, residents deserve to know that.
On the other hand, if there are more efficient, affordable or equitable ways to provide the service, those alternatives deserve serious consideration.
My position is simple: show residents the numbers, explain the alternatives and then have an informed discussion about which system provides the best value.
LISTEN FIRST. UNDERSTAND THE COST. THEN DECIDE.
WHAT MATTERS TO YOU?
THESE ARE MY PRIORITIES.
NOW I WANT TO HEAR YOURS.
There may be something important to you that isn't on this page.
If there's an issue you believe Hamilton Township Council needs to address, tell me.
You don't have to support me. You don't have to agree with me.
You deserve to be heard.
Accountability. Transparency. Community.