General Issues Committee approves Allocation of City of Hamilton’s Municipal Accommodation Tax Funds 15-0

The report recommended five targeted investments totalling $348,000 from the City of Hamilton’s Municipal Accommodation Tax Reserve, Reserve #108072. The purpose of Reserve #108072 was to provide for the financing of tourism promotion and development of tourism and tourism related products and activities.

Action items outlined in the Strategy were funded through the Municipal Accommodation Tax program implemented in 2022. The Municipal Accommodation Tax Reserve provided a dedicated, non-tax-levy source of funding for tourism and cultural investments, reducing reliance on the property tax base.

The motion, as recorded in the minutes:

Development, or their designate, be authorized and directed to execute, on behalf of the City all required agreements and documents to give effect to Recommendations (a) through (d), with content satisfactory to the General Manager of Planning and Economic Development, or their designate, and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor. (ii) (Horwath/Cassar) That Report Report PED26116, respecting 2026 Allocation of City of Hamilton’s Municipal Accommodation Tax Funds (City Wide), be amended by adding new Sub-sections (f) and (g) and renumbering the balance, as follows: (f) That a one-time contribution of $50,000 from the Municipal Accommodation Tax Reserve (108072) be approved for the Festival of Friends in recognition of its 50th anniversary in 2026, to support anniversary programming and associated event costs; (g) That this contribution be considered one-time funding only and not be incorporated into, or considered in the calculation of, any future City funding allocation or grant awards to the Festival of Friends; and, General Issues Committee July 8, 2026 Minutes – GIC 26-010 Page 9 of 22 Please refer to the July 15, 2026 Council minutes for the disposition of these matters. (f)(h) That the General Manager of Planning and Economic Development, or their designate, be authorized and directed to execute, on behalf of the City all required agreements and documents to give effect to Recommendations (a) through (d) (g), with content satisfactory to the General Manager of Planning and Economic Development, or their designate, and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

This item comes up about 4:41:30 into the meeting recording. The meeting stayed on it for about 151 minutes. The recording is the city’s own. Local Wire does not transcribe it or attribute remarks from it.

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