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Election of Deputy Warden, 2025 Budget, waste collection update and more

 

County Council meetings are broadcast live at www.oxfordcounty.ca/livestream. To download the full agenda or view past recordings of council meetings, visit www.oxfordcounty.ca/council.

 

 

Election of Deputy Warden

County Council will elect a Deputy Warden on December 11 for a one-year term. The election of the Deputy Warden, who assumes the responsibilities of the Warden if absent, is decided before the start of each new year in the Council term. In 2024, the role of Deputy Warden has been held by Councillor Mark Peterson, Mayor of Township of Blandford-Blenheim.

 

 

2025 Business Plan and Budget

Oxford County Council will make final motions on December 11 before considering the updated 2025 Business Plan and Budget for approval.

  • Through budget adjustments received by County Council so far, the County’s projected tax levy remains at $98.8 million for 2025. This includes recent budget requirements received from the Conservation Authorities and Southwestern Public Health.
  • County Council will consider seven notices of motion to amend the 2025 Business Plan and Budget.
  • The proposed budget includes a $125.1 million capital plan for investment in water and wastewater infrastructure, roads and bridges, social housing and Woodingford building upgrades, and other projects.
  • In the first year of the County’s new Grants Program, $31,500 will be awarded to Domestic Abuse Services Oxford (DASO), $50,000 to Oxford Connection, and $50,000 to Small Business Center Oxford.

If approved, the 2025 Budget would result in a $126 increase for the year for Oxford County services for the average residential taxpayer, a 10.3% increase to the County share of municipal taxes over last year.

Municipal taxes are made up of three parts: the amount paid to a property owner’s local area municipality, the amount paid to Oxford County, and the amount paid for education as set by the Government of Ontario.

Oxford County's annual budget is funded through a number of sources in addition to the municipal taxes it collects through the levy, including provincial and federal funding, reserves, user fees and charges, and debentures.

To view the draft budget package, download budget presentations, or watch the special budget meeting recordings, visit www.oxfordcounty.ca/2025budget.

CS 2024-49: 2025 Business Plans and Budget

 

 

Waste collection updates

County Council is being asked to approve a contract award to Emterra Environmental for curbside garbage, source separated organics, and large item collection from 2027 to 2034. The report puts forward a number of changes to the County’s waste collection program over the next three years.

  • If approved, starting in 2027, the County will move to a 6-day collection cycle for garbage and source-separated organics (green bin program). Recycling collection (blue box program) in Oxford County moves to the new province-wide program beginning in January 2026.
  • The organics, or green bin, program would start earlier in the City of Woodstock in 2026.
  • Large item collection at the curbside will take place once a year. (Large items continue to be accepted year-round at the Oxford County Waste Management Facility.)
  • There will be a two-bag limit for garbage as part of the green bin program. It is expected that diverting organic waste, which makes up about 50-60% of the average garbage bag in Oxford, will result in less garbage to put out.
  • A review of bag tag pricing, which has not increased in 10 years, will take place in early 2025 to ensure bag tags continue to cover the cost of garbage collection. A “user pay” approach to waste collection encourages recycling and distributes costs of garbage collection according to how much waste is generated.

Recommendations for the waste collection program follow eight months of research and analysis and also considered the results of a community engagement campaign in the spring of 2024.

PW 2024-44: Contract Award - Curbside Waste Collection and Organics Processing

 

 

Other reports 

 

 

Questions or comments?                                                       

Council this Week previews the Oxford County Council meeting agenda for residents, community partners and employees. Please send your questions and comments to communications@oxfordcounty.ca