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MISSION, VISION,
VALUES AND GOALS OF THE CITY OF HAMILTON
Hamilton
City Council has developed a very
important document that defines the mission of our local government and
a vision for the future of Hamilton. A core set of values also
exists to guide behaviour and actions concerning the management
of the city. For staff and residents of the City of Hamilton,
the document represents a promise for the future and provides
clear direction for where
our city is going. To "get there", Council has also committed to
a set of priorities, known as the strategic plan, where the City’s financial
and human resources will be focused in the coming years.
Below is the complete text of Hamilton’s Mission,
Vision, Values and Goal (strategic plan) statements. Take this opportunity to familiarize
yourself with these statements, and expect to hear more about them in
the months ahead as the City of Hamilton prepares to launch a
new branding campaign.
Our Vision
The City of Hamilton’s vision is the shaping force
for all of its policies, actions, behaviours and services.
It states:
The City of Hamilton is a safe, healthy,
sustainable community and a great place in which to work, live and
play, that offers residents and businesses growth and opportunity.
It is a city of diverse communities, led by
Council, which together with staff, spends wisely and governs in an
open and accessible manner.
Our Mission
The mission of Council and staff is to work together
to create and implement strategies necessary to turn the vision into
reality.
Our Values
The vision, mission and goals of the City of Hamilton
will be guided by 10 core values.
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Fiscal Accountability: to
increase the efficiency of our city government through fiscal
responsibility and prudence
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Leadership: in
our thinking and in our actions; encouraging individual and team
initiatives that exceed expectations, and advocating what we
believe in
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Innovation: to
think broadly and long-term; to balance both city-wide and
neighbourhood responsibilities; to do more with limited
resources
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Integrity: to
demonstrate honesty and sincerity in all of our dealings,
upholding only the highest ethical principles; to provide open
and transparent communications to create informed opinion
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Respect: for the needs of all residents, for all viewpoints, and for the
diversity of our community
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Compassion: sensitivity
to, and meeting the requirements of all residents with special
needs and interests, and those less fortunate
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Commitment: to
fulfilling the vision and goals of the city
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Teamwork: working
in full cooperation and a spirit of collegiality with staff,
Council, residents, businesses and external partners
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Sustainability: to
contribute to a balanced community, economy and environment; to
minimize the footprint of our activities and to do no harm
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Excellence: in our
service delivery, through a quality workforce; and to show pride
in our efforts and the community in which we live and work
Our Goals
Our strategic plan shows how we want to build a
city that works. We want Hamilton to be:
1. A City of Growth and
Opportunity
To secure a future of growth and opportunity for the
City of Hamilton, Council commits to focus all available resources on
economic development. Specifically:
a) Lower Commercial &
Industrial Taxes
Council will lower commercial and industrial taxes
such that the city’s tax ratios will reach provincial thresholds in
3 years.
b) Investment in Infrastructure
Council will pursue investment in strategic
infrastructure necessary to attract and maintain business.
c) Developing Partnerships for Hamilton with Other Levels of
Government
Council will urge its government partners to take
the steps necessary to support the city in its efforts
d) Attracting and Retaining Business
Council will explore the best methods and quantity
of resources necessary to attract and retain business.
e) City-wide and Balanced Investment
Council will pursue initiatives at the airport,
waterfront, and downtown areas to ensure the benefits of economic
development are felt city-wide.
f) Keeping Hamilton Connected
Council will look beyond the borders of Hamilton to
ensure that it is connected to the regional economies of Niagara,
Western New York and the GTA.
2. A Great City in Which to
Live
To ensure that Hamilton remains a great city, Council
commits to providing quality services that residents can rely on and to
support the community’s quality of life.
a) Providing Quality Community Services
Council will work to provide quality community
services, honouring community identity and varying needs and
circumstances.
b) Supporting People in Need, with Care
Council will seek to work with other levels of
government and the community to ensure that people in need are
supported and cared for.
c) Putting Our Best Face Forward
Council will commit to working with the community
to heighten awareness that littering and graffiti hurt our efforts to
be a great city.
d) Walk this Way – A City of Trails
Council will partner with the Hamilton Conservation
Authority and other community agencies to integrate and promote a
city-wide trail system.
e) Young Hamiltonians are Part of Being Great
Council will commit to building a new city that
makes a place for its best and brightest – our children and
grandchildren; young people need to feel that they have a role in
making our city great.
f) VISION 2020 – A Sustainable City
Council is committed to VISION 2020 and will
partner with ACTION 2020 in the implementation of its strategies.
g) Arts & Culture
Council is committed to promoting the development of
arts, culture and heritage throughout the City.
3. A Healthy, Safe and Green
City
To ensure the quality of life of Hamilton residents,
Council commits to work with our government partners to improve our
natural environment, the safety of our community, and the health of our
residents.
a) Meeting Our Statutory Health Obligations
Council will take steps to ensure that the public
health department is adequately resourced to meet all statutory
obligations.
b) Cleaning Up the Harbour
Council will work with government, the private
sector, and the community to work to clean up the Harbour.
c) Investing in Safe Water for Today & Tomorrow
Council will commit to measures that will help ensure
reliable and safe sources of drinking water.
d) Reducing Waste Going to Landfills
Council will commit to an aggressive waste diversion
rate to increase the lifespan of our landfill and ultimately reduce costs, both financial and environmental, for taxpayers.
e) Leading the Way in Environmental Studies & Management
Council will work with government, academia, the
community and private sector to study issues related to our natural environment, provide valuable advice and put forward action plans.
f) Public Safety for the Community, with the Community
Council will work for and with the community to
improve the safety of all residents.
g) Improving Air Quality to Help Us Breathe
Council will work with government, community
stakeholders and the private sector in the pursuit of strategies aimed
at cleaning our air.
h) More Trees Please
Council will commit to supporting efforts to make our
city green by pursuing an urban forestry strategy.
i) Municipal Housing Program
Develop and implement a municipal affordable
housing program.
4. A City Where People Come
First
To harness the energy of the citizens of the new City
of Hamilton and to fulfill our obligation to be open and accessible,
Council commits to communicate clearly and effectively with the public;
provide full information about services, their costs and how well they
meet clear performance targets.
a) Annual Reports on the State of the City
Council will publish an annual report detailing the performance of the
City.
b) Itemized Tax Bills
Council will provide taxpayers with a clear account
of how their money is being spent with an itemized property tax bill.
c) Benchmarks & Performance Measurement
Council will work with staff to develop a list of key
performance indicators to track the progress of the City of Hamilton against objective benchmarks.
d) New Opportunities for Public Input & Volunteerism
Council will pursue new and innovative opportunities
to enable more people to share their views and contributions to the city, Council and its services.
5. A City That Spends Wisely and Invests
Strategically
To get the best value for taxpayer dollars, and to
ensure that we have the financial resources available to invest in our
economic development and other community priorities, Council commits to
increase the efficiency of our city government.
a) Maintain Service Levels
Except where mandated by statutory obligation or to
address priority infrastructure deficiencies, Council will maintain, but
not increase, service levels until its economic development program is
complete.
b) Best Practices – Best Value
Council will pursue best practices to lower the cost
of government and ensure best value in service delivery. It is
recognized that best value is not just a calculation of dollars: it also
includes accountability, service quality, accessibility and other
community priorities which must be taken into account as per Council
policy.
c) Smart Amalgamation
Council will complete the amalgamation in a manner
consistent with its commitment to maintaining service levels and seeking
best value set out in (a) and (b), while honouring community identity.
6.
A
City of Choice for High Performance Public Servants
Council commits to value Hamilton civic employees and
to work with the management team to create the conditions where all
employees can excel in their service to the community.
a) Employer of Choice
Council will
support the administration in its efforts to:
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Provide employees with challenging, rewarding, enjoyable and
fulfilling work, and;
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Assist staff in balancing work with home and personal commitments
through supportive human resource policies and management approaches
b) Learning Organization
Council will support the administration in its
efforts to foster life-long learning and career development for staff.
c) Leadership
Council will support the administration in its
efforts to develop leadership at all levels in the organization, and
to capitalize on its leadership capabilities to cultivate
organizational energy, enthusiasm, and a shared sense of purpose and
direction.
d) Business and Service Excellence
Council will support the administration in its
efforts to provide excellence in public service, to be achieved
through an integrated approach to planning and performance management,
optimal use of technology, well-trained staff, and effective
management of change.
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