2020 Draft County Budget Presented to County Council

Wyoming, ON - Lambton County Council will be considering a net increase of 3.42% to the County property tax levy when it meets to discuss the County's 2020 budget early next month.

The Draft 2020 County Budget was presented during a special joint meeting of Committee A.M. and Committee P.M. in Wyoming on Wednesday, February 19, 2020.  The draft document calls for $80.2 million to be raised through local property taxes and total spending of $220.7 million, allocated as follows:

• General Government/Council activities - $15.9 million
• Office of the Chief Administrative Officer - $712,000
• Corporate Services Division - $6.0 million
• Cultural Services Division - $11.7 million
• Finance, Facilities and Court Services Division - $14.5 million
• Infrastructure & Development Services Division - $29.7 million
• Long-Term Care Division - $35.3 million
• Public Health Services Division - $28.5 million
• Social Services Division - $78.5 million

The proposed 3.42% tax increase is comprised of a base budget increase of 1.30%, a 1.80% increase for investment in infrastructure and 1.37% increase from provincial downloading. This 4.47% increase is reduced to 3.42% because of an assessment growth increase of 1.05% - the highest growth rate we have experienced in the past 5 years.

"The provincial downloading that has taken place in recent months will have a significant impact on this year's budget deliberations," said Lambton County Warden Bill Weber. "The draft budget presented to County Council shows commitment to maintaining core programs, services and investments in infrastructure, while carefully working to balance the changes being felt by communities across the province."

The Draft Budget calls for the allocation of $12.1 million to various reserves and reserve funds in 2020.  The County uses these reserves to finance large, necessary projects that may arise in the future or to pay for unexpected opportunities and emergencies. Following this year's proposed withdrawals, the projected reserve fund balance will be $49.6 million, an increase of $400,000 from 2019.

Lambton County Council has three items referred to budget deliberations this year:

• Bluewater Health - Requesting $10,000,000 over the next 10 years, equivalent to $1,000,000 annually, to assist with the purchasing of capital equipment.
• Victoria Playhouse Petrolia - Requesting $200,000 annually over the next 5 years to assist in capital improvements, for a total grant request of $1,000,000.
• Kineto Theatre Forest - Requesting $75,000 to assist in capital renovations.

If County Council decides to fund these three requests, the County's tax base will need to be increased by $1.275 million in 2020.

Budget deliberations are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m., Wednesday, March 4, 2020 and if required, will continue at 9 a.m., Thursday, March 26.  Deliberations are also scheduled to be streamed live and made available for archival viewing through the County's website, LambtonOnline.ca.

Hard copies of the 2020 Draft County Budget can be requested by contacting the Finance, Facilities and Court Services Division at 519-845-0809 ext. 5321 or by clicking on the "County Budget" tab at www.lambtononline.ca.

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Please contact:

Bill Weber
Warden
County of Lambton
519-381-6111
Email Warden Bill Weber

Larry Palarchio
GM, Finance, Facilities and Court Services
County of Lambton
519-845-5417
Email Larry Palarchio