Investing in Elgin

Elgin County's 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. Municipal budget decisions set the funding for important infrastructure, programs, services, and facilities that serve Elgin County residents and ensure a high quality of life.

Elgin County residents do not pay taxes directly to the County. Instead, the County tax levy is added to the tax bill in each area Municipality and then transferred to the County from the Municipality of West Elgin, Municipality of Dutton Dunwich, Township of Southwold, Municipality of Central Elgin, Township of Malahide, Town of Aylmer, and the Municipality of Bayham. The County's annual budget is then financed by these tax levies as well as senior government funding, reserve funding, and other fees collected.

By taking a long-term 10-year approach to developing the budget, Council strives to proactively plan for challenges facing our residents while identifying opportunities to ensure Elgin is a place where people want to live, work and play.

Understanding municipal budgets can be a daunting task. Watch the video below to learn more about how the Elgin County Budget works:

Additionally, the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) also created an excellent overview of the municipal budget process and how MPAC assesses your property. This video can be accessed at the following link: https://youtu.be/nrWry5i3TBU.