2025 Business Plan and Budget

2025 Draft Budget

Oxford County Council receives the DRAFT 2025 Business Plan and Budget on November 13, 2024. 

This is the first step in Council's review and discussion of next year's budget. The final 2025 Budget, including any changes resulting from the special budget meetings, is before County Council for final approval on December 11, 2024.

Through a total proposed budget of $422.0 million, the draft budget package includes:

  • a $291.0 million operating budget to deliver County programs and services, including those that provide affordable housing, support for vulnerable and unhoused people, safe drinking water, traffic calming and road safety, paramedic services, long-term care at Woodingford Lodge, reliable municipal infrastructure, community planning and development, provincial offences administration, County library services, and more
  • a $131.0 million capital plan for municipal infrastructure and an additional $79.2 million in capital reserve transfers for future funding for roads, bridges, water and wastewater infrastructure, facilities, information technology and more under Oxford County's Asset Management Plan

The County share of municipal taxes, collected from each of Oxford's eight area municipalities through the tax levies, is proposed at $98.8 million for 2025. This would result in an average municipal tax increase, on an average residential household,* of $137 for the year, or just under $12 a month (10.1% increase over 2024). This number is an estimate only and subject to change through the budget process and the final MPAC (Municipal Property Assessment Corporation) assessment roll released at year-end.

Oxford County's annual budget is funded through a number of sources, including:

  • municipal taxes collected through the levy (23.4%)
  • provincial and federal funding (26.4%)
  • reserves, or funds earmarked for future expenses (21.1%)
  • user fees and charges, e.g., water and wastewater rates collected by utilities (20.6%)
  • other charges and debentures (8.5%)

Municipal tax increases in recent years have also been offset by growth in the County's municipal tax base as a result of population growth.

 

Special budget meetings

Special budget meetings of Oxford County Council for the 2025 Budget and Business Plan take place:

Special Council Meeting 1: November 20, 2024 - 9:30 am - 12:00 pm
Special Council Meeting 2: November 25, 2024 - 9:30 am - 12:00 pm
Consideration of budget at regular Council Meeting: December 11, 2024 - 9:30 am

Please check back for more updates on the 2025 Budget.

 

 

About the 2025 Budget survey

2025 Budget survey resultsThe 2025 Budget survey was open for public feedback from June 12 to August 30, 2024. The annual survey is an opportunity for residents to have a say on which services should be a priority in the upcoming budget year.

A total of 1,136 people responded to the budget survey this year, with 62% indicating the value they receive for County tax dollars is fair or good, and 24% indicating they receive poor value. More than 650 comments were received through the survey, spanning housing, children’s services, long-term care, paramedic services and roads.

For more information or to see the survey results, visit Speak Up, Oxford!

Infographic: Highlights from the 2024 Budget Survey - Oxford County results

 

 

 About the Oxford County budget and tax levy
 

Oxford County's annual business plan and budget is guided by Council’s strategic priorities as set out in the Strategic Plan. The County's fiscal year is from January 1 to December 31.

Oxford County residents do not pay taxes directly to the County. The County tax levy is added to the tax bill in each area municipality and then transferred to the County from Blandford-Blenheim, East Zorra-Tavistock, Ingersoll, Norwich, South-West Oxford, Tillsonburg, Woodstock and Zorra. The County's annual budget is then financed by these tax levies as well as government funding, reserve funding, and fees from development charges, water and wastewater, etc. 

Tax levies collected by the County are used to: 

  • maintain and manage County infrastructure, including bridges and highways, drinking water, wastewater, and garbage and recycling;   
  • deliver social services, ambulance, and long-term care services directed by the provincial government;
  • provide development and community planning for each area municipality and the County as a whole;          
  • maintain county-wide information systems, library services and archives; and,   
  • administer the Provincial Offences Court.