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.

2024-2026 Budget

The draft 2024-2026 County budget will be presented to County Council during the Special Council Budget Meeting on Wednesday, December 6, 2023 at 9:30 a.m. Watch the presentation on December 6th or check this page after the meeting concludes to review the draft materials online.

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, or view the infographic below: 

View our 2023 Budget Overview Infographic 

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:

2023 Department Overviews 

2023 Business Plans and Issue Papers 

2023 Department Budgets and Long-Term Plans 

2022 Budget

For an overview of the 2022 budget, view our 2022 Budget Overview Infographic or the presentation slides from 2022 Budget presentations to County Council (December 8 and 9, 2021).

For a more detailed breakdown of our 2022 budget, view our 2022 Consolidated Budget and Long Term Plan, or department-specific overviews, business plans, issues papers, budgets and long-term plans below:

2022 Department Overviews

2022 Business Plans and Issue Papers

2022 Department Budgets and Long-Term Plans

2021 Budget

For an overview of the 2021 budget, view our 2021 Budget Overview Infographic or the presentation slides from 2021 Budget presentations to County Council:

View our 2021 Consolidated Budget and Long Term Plan, or view department-specific overviews, business plans, issues papers, budgets and long-term plans below:

2021 Department Overviews

2021 Business Plans and Issue Papers

2021 Department Budgets and Long-Term Plans