How does the city budget affect your tax bill in 2022?

Don't bank on an average" tax hike if you live in a pricey west-end home, or outside the HSR bus service area.

City council signed off on a nearly $1-billion, tax-supported spending plan at the end of March that represents a 2.8 per cent tax increase for the owner of a property assessed at $382,000. That's an extra $120 in property taxes for that mythical average" homeowner.

But where you live and what services you receive can have a big impact on your bill.

For example, a new city breakdown shows all old-city wards saw about a three per cent tax hike - but specific dollar impacts vary in part depending on assessed home value.

That's why Ward 1 in the lower city and Ward 14 on the west Mountain, with average assessed home values around $407,000, will see average tax bills goes up by $150 and $147, respectively. In Ward 3, where the assessed home value is listed at $226,100, average tax bills will climb by around $83.

Finance head Mike Zegarac said other variations by ward in urban tax impacts this year are largely due to changes in transit service, which is area rated, as well as parkland purchases.

The urban part of Ward 12 (Ancaster) saw a lower average tax impact of around 2.5 per cent - but that still translates into a dollar increase of $151 on the property tax bill. The average assessed value in the ward is $544,500.

The lowest percentage increase for urban residents was in Ward 15 (Waterdown) at 1.9 per cent or an extra $109.

Residents of rural wards with no transit and volunteer fire services saw average tax hikes between 2.3 and 2.6 per cent.

In some parts of the city, residents receive varying levels of fire and transit service. To see specific details for your area, look for the city's tax breakdown on hamilton.ca.

Tax hikes by urban ward (average assessed value)

• Ward 1 ($407,900) 3% or $150

• Ward 2 ($281,800) 3% or $103

• Ward 3 ($226,100) 3% or $83

• Ward 4 ($234,000) 3% or $86

• Ward 5 ($313,900) 3% or $112

• Ward 6 ($333,200) 3% or $122

• Ward 7 ($338,600) 3% or $124

• Ward 8 ($368,900) 3% or $135

• Ward 9 ($410,800) 2.8% or $127

• Ward 10 ($415,400) 2.9% or $131

• Ward 11 ($397,600) 2.6% or $113

• Ward 12 ($544,500) 2.5% or $151

• Ward 13 ($488,200) 2.4% or $126

• Ward 14 ($406,700) 3% or $147

• Ward 15 ($518,100) $1.9% or $108

Matthew Van Dongen is a transportation and environment reporter at The Spectator. mvandongen@thespec.com