Budgets
Budget process
Northumberland County goes through a rigorous budgeting and planning process each year. This process involves consideration of programs and services, budgets and key priorities for the coming year.
This annual budget process includes:
- Define (May): The County Budget process officially begins with the County engaging community members via survey to gather feedback and identify public priorities for the management and investment of budget dollars.
-
Direct (June): County Council provides direction on a target base levy (property tax) increase around which staff then structures the following year’s budget for Council review.
-
Develop (July-November): Public input from the budget consultation is presented to County Council in July to help inform budget development and decision-making. Based on this public feedback, along with direction from County Council, each department develops an annual business plan and budget. Departments also contribute to the review and update of the County's long-term plan. The Finance Department oversees consolidation of all budget documents in the fall.
-
Deliberate (December): In December, the final draft budget is presented to County Council at Special Meetings of Council for review and deliberation.
- Determine: Council may vote on the budget in December, or they may provide direction to staff to make further adjustments and deliver an updated version at a future meeting of Council for review, discussion, and determination.
In addition to the annual budget, the Finance Department annually updates a financial model that looks over a 10-year span at the management of the County's finances. This model looks at the current budget year and provides a 9-year future financial plan for the County, ensuring a rolling 10-year plan that enables the County to plan for large projects and map out program and service delivery over the longer-term.
2023 Budget
The 2023 budget for Northumberland County was approved at the January 25, 2023 meeting of County Council. For an overview of the 2023 budget, view the presentation slides from the 2023 Draft Budget and 10 Year Financial Plan presentation to County Council, delivered on December 14, 2022.
For a more detailed breakdown of our 2023 budget, view our 2023 Draft Consolidated Budget and Long Term Plan (draft pending update), or department-specific overviews, business plans and issues papers, or draft budgets and long-term plans below:
Public consultation
Public consultation is a vital part of the Northumberland County's annual process to create an effective municipal budget.
In May 2022, we invited community members to help shape the 2023 County Budget by completing our Budget Survey. Residents, local business owners and community partners were encouraged to share their input on areas of focus for the County’s current and long-term financial priorities.
Feedback from this consultation was brought forward to the Finance and Audit Committee meeting in July 2022 for County Council consideration and to inform staff's development of a draft budget for Council's review and deliberation at the end of 2022. Review a report about what we heard during this consultation. Access future opportunities for engagement on the priority initiatives that matter most to you through our online consultation portal: Join In Northumberland.