By Cecilia Nasmith Today’s Northumberland
A look at how future budgets will be prepared in the Town of Cobourg with its mayor having been given Strong Mayor powers by the province could be gleaned from four directives Mayor Lucas Cleveland issued on Tuesday relating to the 2026 operating and capital budgets.
Further to the Strong Mayor power that allows the mayor to propose a budget, the directives are addressed to Chief Administrative Officer Tracey Vaughan and Treasurer Adam Giddings to – no later than Nov. 1 – prepare a staff budget “as per previous budget cycles that conforms with the budget and business planning processes and best practices utilized by the Town Staff in previous years with a target levy not to exceed 5 percent.”
The following paragraph refers to a process of engaging with staff to generate a final draft with the notation “Staff and Consultant led.”
One of the directives authorizes $20,000 to be paid to consultant David Dexter through an Independent Consultant Agreement “to lead and engage in a Community Led Task Force that will review all financial options, with the outcome to recommend a community-formed set of recommendations to be presented to the Mayor” as part of the process that will result in the final 2026 operating and capital budget.
Two of the directives set out requests to the Cobourg Public Library and the Cobourg Police Service to submit a total budget request that does not rise from the previous year’s budget beyond certain limits – a 3 percent increase limit for the library and 4 percent for police.
The first directive also calls for “an engagement plan led by Corporate Communications Team” that will be approved by the mayor prior to implementation. It also calls for the proposed final drafts to be presented to each member of council, the Town Clerk and the public – if possible, by Dec. 1 and no later than Dec. 15.
These directives remain in effect unless and until revoked in writing by the mayor and filed with the town clerk.
Under the Strong Mayor Powers bestowed by the province, the mayor is required to propose the budget by Feb. 1 of each year, and council can amend the proposed budget through a resolution within a 30-day review period.
Mayors can veto amendments within 10 days of the end of the council-review period. Council can override such a veto, but this would require a two-thirds-majority vote.
