By: Fernando Arce, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Tilbury Times Reporter
Consultations are now underway for the first annual update of Chatham-Kent’s first multi-year budget, which will cover 2024-2027.
Residents have until Oct. 14 to fill out a 13-question survey that will serve as the basis for the 2025 annual update. The 2025 budget is the second year of the approved 2024-2027 multi-year budget.
It includes a council-approved tax increase of 8.17 per cent, according to the municipality’s website, which will be returning to Council this fall for an update and adoption.
“Chatham-Kent officials have launched the first phase of this year’s annual budget review process public consultation, which is designed to gather public input on the 2025 Annual Budget update process,” reads a Facebook post from the Municipality of Chatham-Kent on Oct. 2.
“The survey features questions on the 2025 Chatham-Kent budget and allows residents to express their thoughts and whether spending should be increased or decreased. The survey includes an opportunity to provide general comments. The survey results will be provided to Chatham-Kent Council prior to Budget Committee deliberations.”
The survey can be found at www.letstalkchatham-kent.ca/budget-2025-annual-update.
According to the survey, Chatham-Kent’s assets are approximately only 40 per cent funded. Another proposed increase is a levy of 1.5 per cent of taxes “ to close the funding gap as well as annual inflation on current lifecycle funding to keep pace with requirements as construction costs increase.”
The 2025 first annual update, which is required by the Municipal Act, 2001, is “an important element of multi-year budgeting,” according to a 13-slide PowerPoint presentation explaining Chatham-Kent’s multi-year budgeting process. It will serve as an “opportunity to adjust the budget to provide the flexibility for special events or circumstances that require funding and resource adjustments,” it states.
The update will focus on three types of budget amendments: new council directions and priorities; corporate budget shortfall or surplus; and new or changed legislation that impacts the finances of the municipality.
The second phase is the Budget Presentation to Council on Nov. 13 at 6 pm, which will also be aired live on YourTV and shared on Facebook and YouTube. There will also be a live Q&A Community Open House session on the municipality’s Facebook Live on Nov. 20 at 12 pm and 21 at 7 pm.
The third phase involves Council deliberations on the Annual Budget update, which will be aired live on YourTV, as well as shared on Facebook and YouTube on Nov. 26 and 27 at 6 pm. If needed, further contingency meetings are scheduled for Nov. 28, Dec. 3 and Dec. 4 at 6 pm.
For more information, visit: https://www.letstalkchatham-kent.ca/budget-2025-annual-update
