A municipal official says infrastructure and new workplace laws will be the stand-out items in this year's budget.
Director of Budget and Performance Services Gord Quinton says the first budget presentation will be held at the Municipality of Chatham-Kent Civic Centre on Wednesday from 6pm to 7pm.
"We're going to give about a 45-minute presentation to council going over some of the details in the budget and where we are at with our projections. We'll also just go over the processes for the following two-week period," says Quinton.
Gord says if there are any organizations or groups that want to come forward for funding, they are invited to sign up at the door on Wednesday. He says those discussions will be held after the main budget presentation.
"We have our community open houses next Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday in various sites around the municipality. All the details are on our Chatham-Kent website. Then on January 30, 31, and February 1 if needed, council will deliberate the budget and make a decision," says Quinton.
According to Quinton, there is significant funding for infrastructure in this year's budget.
"Funding for infrastructure is a key component of this budget... so infrastructure meaning your roads, bridges, and any of the buildings and facilities in your community," he says.
Quinton says this year's infrastructure funding will be comparable to last year's budget, which received a large boost.
He says one issue that stands out in this year's budget is the change to the province's work laws.
"Everyone is familiar now with Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces and Better Jobs Act, that came into effect on January 1. Chatham-Kent, in theory, supports many of the changes in the act, but of course, it does come with cost implications for all employers, including municipalities," says Quinton.
Quinton says there are many outlets for residents to get involved in the budget process this year.
"We recognize that not everyone is able to attend either our community open houses or attend a budget session in person for various reasons. They are of course welcome to directly contact any of their local councillors or through these other channels, whether it's through the survey, just emailing us at the municipality, or calling 519-360-1998. We'd like to hear any feedback. Councillors make the best decisions with having direct feedback from the constituents," says Quinton.