The Municipality of Chatham-Kent is inviting residents to share their views as part of the first phase of the 2026 budget review process.
An online survey is open for the public to provide feedback on spending priorities and general comments about the budget. The survey can be accessed at www.letstalkchatham-kent.ca/budget-2026 and will remain available until Wednesday, Oct. 15.
The municipal budget is described as the blueprint for how tax dollars are spent, balancing revenue with expenditures to fund services delivered to residents. In 2024, Chatham-Kent introduced its first multi-year budget covering 2024 to 2027, designed to provide strategic financial planning over the term of council.
By linking council’s strategic priorities to departmental business plans and adopting a four-year budget, the municipality says it is creating an integrated, long-term approach that aligns priorities with funding. Multi-year budgets are reviewed annually through budget updates, which the municipality says give residents greater certainty of future taxes and implementation timelines.
This year’s budget engagement includes three phases. The first is the survey now underway. The second will be a budget presentation to council on Nov. 5 at 6 p.m., which will be broadcast live on YourTV and shared on Facebook and YouTube. The draft budget will be available that day on the municipal website. Two live question-and-answer community open houses will follow on Facebook, scheduled for Nov. 19 at noon and Nov. 20 at 7 p.m.
The third phase will be council deliberations, starting Nov. 25 at 6 p.m. and continuing Nov. 26 and 27. Those meetings will also be broadcast on YourTV and streamed online.
