The 2023 budget process starts in Chatham-Kent on Wednesday night.
The draft municipal budget will be presented to council at 6 p.m. on January 11 and will include the proposed tax increase in 2023 for Chatham-Kent, if there is one.
At that time, the draft budget will also become available for residents to view on the municipality's website.
Groups and organizations that wish to request funding must submit a written request by email to ckfps@chatham-kent.ca before noon on Monday, January 9.
Additionally, groups or organizations wishing to provide comment on the municipal budget can submit a written deputation by email to ckfps@chatham-kent.ca before noon on Wednesday, January 11.
Following the draft budget being presented, two community consultations will take place to allow a chance for residents to provide their input.
"A brief summary of the draft budget will be presented by administration at the beginning of each event," municipal officials said through a media release.
The community consultations are set for Wednesday, January 18 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. and Thursday, January 19 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. and will take place on the Municipality of Chatham-Kent Facebook page.
Meanwhile, budget deliberation meetings will take place on January 25, 26 and 31 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. each night.
If more time is required, February 1 and 2 have also been set aside.
Written deputations of up to five minutes in length are welcome each evening. Submissions must be made by email to ckfps@chatham-kent.ca before 12 p.m. each day. Comments can also be submitted by telephone at 519-360-1998.
All budget meetings will be broadcast live on YourTV as well as live-streamed on the YourTV YouTube channel. In-person meetings will also return this year in the Council Chambers at the Civic Centre in Chatham.
In 2022, the Chatham-Kent municipal budget passed with an overall tax increase of 2.79 per cent after four nights of deliberation.