Chatham-Kent council will be getting down to brass tacks this week as the 2023 draft budget is presented.
Wallaceburg councillor Aaron Hall says it’s going to be a challenging process.
“We’ve heard from Gord Quinton, our Chief Financial Officer, with all the different factors, especially inflation, that’s definitely going to have an impact on our budget. That’ll be a challenge, but at the same time you’ve got to find that balance of ensuring we still have those good services that everybody needs and wants in the community and how to provide those in a fiscally responsible way.”
Mayor Darrin Canniff says laying out the municipality’s fiscal priorities is never an easy task, but this year will be particularly tough.
“The finance department starts months in advance to go through and determine each and every spot where they can save money, maintain the services the community wants but to save costs,” Canniff says. “Inflation is going to be a huge component of that, as we all know. From an inflationary perspective, that’s going to be the issue, and I know right across the province we see a lot of other communities grappling with the same issue.”
The draft budget will be presented to council at the Civic Centre Wednesday night.
Two public forums are scheduled next Wednesday and Thursday, both being held online.
Deliberations get underway January 25th.