Read the 2023 County of Essex Proposed Budget
Budget deliberations will begin on Wednesday, December 7, 2022 at 4 PM.
Additional Budget Deliberations (if required) will take place during the regular meeting of Essex County Council on Wednesday, December 21, 2022 at 6 p.m.
The live stream link for Essex County Council meetings is: https://video.isilive.ca/countyofessex/live.html.
Written submissions relating to the Proposed Budget will be accepted by Sandra Zwiers, Director of Financial Services/Treasurer, until 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 24, 2022. She can also be contacted if you wish to make arrangements to view or receive a print copy of the proposed Budget document.
Contact:
Sandra Zwiers
Director of Financial Services/Treasurer
County of Essex
Tel: (519) 776-6441, ext. 1312
TTY: 1-877-624-4832
Fax: (519) 776-4455
szwiers@countyofessex.ca
2022 County of Essex Budget
County Council met in early December 2021 to pass the 2022 Budget. It is a fiscally responsible Budget that supports regional health by boosting staffing levels at Essex-Windsor Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Sun Parlor Home, as well as enhancing supportive housing and setting aside funds for the new hospital system. The budget also includes funding for rehabilitating more than 46 kilometres of county roads and expanding the active transportation network.
2022 Budget Highlights:
Roads: A $45.5-million construction program, including $26.8 million for capacity expansion and $11.7 million to fix existing roads.
Essex-Windsor EMS: Funding to hire an additional 12 paramedics.
Sun Parlor Home: Increased staff hours for safety and infection control, and more time caring for residents.
Social Housing: Setting aside $2.6 million to repair aging social housing in Windsor and Essex County.
General Government: Hiring of a climate change coordinator to advance initiatives in the Essex County Regional Energy Plan.
Hospital: Putting $6.36 million toward the county’s $100-million commitment for funding the construction of a $2-billion new regional hospital.
Credit Rating: AA+ with a stable outlook.
Tax Rate: The 2022 tax rate increase is 1.56 per cent. This translates into an additional $7.61 for a property assessed at $100,000 – bringing the county portion of municipal taxes to $497.04.
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 AAA
S&P Global Ratings increased Essex County's credit rating to AAA with a stable outlook in mid-2022.
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:
|
Accounting |
|
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. |
|
Asset Management Planning |
|
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. |
|
Budgeting and Financial Monitoring |
|
The 2022 Budget represents the vision of Essex County for the upcoming year and the long term. |
|
Financial Reporting |
|
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. |
|
Risk Management |
|
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. |
|
Treasury |
|
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. |
Contact Us