By Cecilia Nasmith/Northumberland 89.7 FM/Today’s Northumberland
It took all day, but Cobourg council underwent all necessary deliberation to come up with a final draft 2025 budget whose increase is 5.36% (after allowing for new assessment growth of 2.32% and a 1% infrastructure levy).
This takes into account everything on the table at that time, Treasurer Adam Giddings confirmed – including the Cobourg Public Library’s request for a 22% increase in its budget that was sent back to the library board for further review in hopes of a smaller increase.
The final motion – which Councillor Miriam Mutton could not support because of her opposition to an infrastructure levy – included a $112,482,784 capital budget and a 32,728,233 operating budget.
Council also approved the environmental services operating and capital budgets which, Giddings pointed out, are fully funded through revenues. For 2025, that is as $1,676,000 capital budget. The operating budget includes revenues of $7,428,764 versus expenditures of $5,118,741 for a surplus of $634,023.
The meeting had begun that morning with a report that the Engage Cobourg feedback exercise drew only 20 respondents. Mayor Lucas Cleveland pointed out that it’s hard to make decisions on behalf of a whole town with that small a response, though he was happy with council’s project of making themselves available for appointments with citizens to discuss budget concerns.
From those 20 responses, key feedback points included keeping the police budget the same, consolidating the police service with the OPP, catching up on infrastructure where it’s needed, and urging staff to continue looking for savings and cuts.
Looking ahead, the town is considering software that will allow them to pre-program in a target levy rise and then invite residents to set the budget with the priorities they have in meeting that target.
As for 2025, a final version of the budget will be decided upon at council’s Dec. 18 meeting.
