Strategic Plan

The county's first Strategic Plan was adopted by Essex County Council on Dec. 20, 2023. The plan is a guide for council and staff for 2024-2027 and beyond. It sets out how the Corporation of the County of Essex will create value for its partners, local communities and residents over the coming years.

It connects the day-to-day work of county staff to the county’s overall strategic direction, and it informs organizational strategies, initiatives and budgets. It aims to create a strong foundation for collaborative relationships within Essex County Council, between council and staff, and between the county and its partners and local communities.

Strategic Plan Update: Aug. 5, 2026

Council approved the Strategic Plan Governance Roadmap and Decision Filter Framework, as recommended in a report from CAO Sandra Zwiers.

The report provided Council with an update on the March 18, 2026 Strategic Plan Check-In and Alignment Session, facilitated by StrategyCorp Inc., and outlined an End-of-Term Governance Roadmap developed to support the remainder of the current Council term and transition planning for the next term of Council.

This report also highlighted the development of a practical Decision Filter Framework intended to support consistent, transparent and disciplined decision-making on complex regional matters moving forward.

Through interviews with Council and senior leadership, workshop discussions and StrategyCorp’s review of implementation progress, there was “broad recognition” that the County has made meaningful structural progress during this Council term. The roadmap notes that the County’s first Strategic Plan remains “directionally sound” and is an active decision-making anchor across the organization.

Significant advancements were identified in governance modernization, infrastructure planning, financial discipline, regional coordination, strategic planning and organizational alignment.

Strategic Plan update: Nov. 5, 2025

CAO Sandra Zwiers provided County Council with an update at its Nov. 5 meeting about the progress made to date on the Strategic Plan.

“Two years into implementation, substantial progress has been made in embedding the Strategic Plan into day-to-day operations,” said the CAO's report to Council. "The implementation roadmap continues to provide clear priorities, accountability, and realistic timelines for Administration. To ensure alignment across the organization, all Directors have conducted rollout meetings with their teams, integrating the Strategic Plan into departmental objectives.”

Looking ahead to 2026, “attention will turn to the more complex and longer-term priorities that remain in progress,” with key areas of focus including the next phase of the road rationalization study, strengthening shared service and cost recovery models, and continuing to modernize internal systems and processes, said the report.

Administration is tracking 96 short-term and long-term tasks associated with the Strategic Plan. Of those tasks, 31 have been completeed, 43 are in progress, five are ongoing initiatives, 10 are still to tackle and seven are on hold. 

Pillars and Goals

The Strategic Plan is founded on three strategic pillars, with goals specific to each:

Working as Team Essex County

• Scaling Sustainable Services through Innovation
• Focusing "Team Essex County" for Results
• Advocating for Essex County's Fair Share

Growing as Leaders in Public Service Excellence

• Being an Employer with Impact
• A Government Working for the People
• Promoting Transparency and Awareness

Building a Regional Powerhouse

• Providing Reliable Infrastructure for Partners
• Supporting Dynamic and Thriving Communities Across the County
• Harmonizing Action for Growth
• Advancing Truth and Reconciliation