2024 Huron East Budget

The Municipality of Huron East is in the process of preparing their 2024 Budget to determine the operating and capital funding requirements for the year. We're looking for your input and feedback regarding the budget and municipal services.

Total Municipal Tax Dollar Allocation

As shown, your Huron East property tax bills are broken up into three components. 50% being allocated to The Municipality of Huron East, 36% going towards the County of Huron, and the remaining 14% going to Education.

What is a budget?

The budget is a plan that sets out anticipated spending for the year and where the money will come from. It determines the services the municipality will provide and defines any improvements or expenses related to buildings or resources that will be made that year. A budget is the blueprint that outlines how municipal funds are collected and allocated. The overall budget can be separated into two main components – the Operating Budget and the Capital Budget.

What is an Operating Budget?

The operating budget is the plan for the day-to-day operations of the Municipality including items such as contracted services, materials, utilities, labour, insurance, and fuel. These expenses are required annually to run the Municipality. Every municipal program and service is funded through the operating budget, which is designed to ensure dependable delivery of a broad array of programs and services that residents rely on every day. Your municipal government is responsible for providing fire and police services, roads, clean water, parks, arenas, waste management, and much more. Many of these services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. These services and programs are largely funded by tax dollars and user fees which include charges for recreation programs, water, and wastewater services.

What is a Capital Budget?

The capital budget is the annual plan for the purchase and financing of the Municipality’s capital assets. Capital assets are projects and expenses where the benefits can be seen over the course of many years, such as roads, bridges, land, buildings, machinery, and equipment. The bulk of the capital spending goes to maintaining and fixing existing infrastructure through taxation and grants.

Balancing the Budget

Each year municipalities are faced with the challenge of balancing the budget, as required by provincial legislation. In order to balance the budget, a careful analysis must be done regarding the level of services required to meet the expectations of the community and the realistic taxation, user fee, and provincial and federal funding levels.