County Council met in early December 2020 to pass the 2021 Budget, a fiscally responsible plan that supports the new hospital and mental wellness, promotes continued improvements to roads and an expanding active transportation network, builds upon staff engagement and development initiatives and invests in key areas like procurement and resident care at Sun Parlor Home.
2021 Budget Highlights:
Roads: A $51 million construction program including $31.9 million for capacity expansion and an $12.4 million Road Rehabilitation program including more than two dozen projects.
Hospital: A $550,000 boost in mega-hospital funding, bringing the 2021 contribution to $5.8 million and the total set aside to nearly $25 million.
Essex-Windsor EMS: Creation of a new Mental Health and Addictions Response Team to address community substance abuse issues and reduce demand on 911. Increased emphasis on mental wellness and peer support for paramedics. Replacement of seven ambulances.
Sun Parlor Home: A boost in the number of RPNs and PSWs to enhance patient care and the hiring of a coordinator to augment the efforts of the Infection Prevention and Control team.
Social Housing: Earmarking $1,650,000 for restoration of housing stock as part of a five-year capital plan with the City of Windsor to address $10 million in infrastructure requirements.
General Government: Hiring of a Procurement Officer to ensure value for money in the purchasing of supplies and services.
Credit Rating: AA+ with a stable outlook, the highest rating a County level government can achieve.
Tax Rate: An increase of 0.49 per cent works out to a $4.70 increase on a home assessed at $200,000. The County’s tax rate increases, excluding increases associated with infrastructure expansion, social housing and the new hospitals system, have essentially been flat since 2002. Inclusive of everything, the tax rate has increased by 23 per cent over 19 years, or about 1.16 per cent year, whereas inflation has increased by 32 per cent or 1.62 per cent per year.
The Budget Process
The budget process begins in August as each department reviews priorities and their annual operating and capital requirements. The draft budgets of each department are put into a draft document that is subject to public review and scrutiny before going to County Council for discussion, review and adoption.
Essex County's Credit Rating AA+
Standard & Poor's has affirmed Essex County's credit rating as AA+ with a stable outlook. This is the highest credit rating afforded to a county-level government in the province.
Ongoing Financial Monitoring
A year is a long time between budgets so the Treasurer produces variance reports mid-year so council can make informed decisions on whether adjustments need to be made.
Finance Department
The County's Finance Department provides advice and support to Council and other departments in six key areas:
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Accounting |
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Accounting Services consistently reviews our practices and procedures to ensure they comply with professional and ethical standards. They make payments and collect funds for the County. They also handle payroll for close to 900 employees. |
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Asset Management Planning |
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Investing in our infrastructure and planning for the refurbishment and replacement of municipal assets is vital. The County's Asset Management Plan lays out a framework to maintain assets and infrastructure like roads, bridges and culverts. |
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Budgeting and Financial Monitoring |
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The 2020 Budget represents the vision of Essex County for the upcoming year and the long term. |
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Financial Reporting |
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The County supports open and transparent government by making important financial documents available for public review: Audited Financial Statements – Statements prepared by the County's Director of Financial Services/Treasurer and reviewed by an independent, external auditor. Financial Information Returns – The FIR is the data collection tool used by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing to collect financial and statistical information on municipalities. The FIR is a standard document comprised of a number of schedules which are updated each year to comply with current legislation and reporting requirements. Public Sector Salary Disclosure – A list of all County Employees making more than $100,000. |
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Risk Management |
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The Director of Financial Services / Treasurer protects the County from exposure to unexpected or accidental losses by managing our level of corporate risk. Operational risks are reviewed each year for ways to control, transfer or finance risk within the corporate insurance policy. |
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Treasury |
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The Director of Financial Services / Treasurer works with all departments and outside organizations to plan for cash flow needs and choose investments that maximize return. Standard and Poor's has affirmed our credit rating at AA+ with a stable outlook. |
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