Oxford County councillors get set to debate next year's financial plan
Oxford County Council has received its Draft 2026 Business Plan and Budget, outlining a proposed $405.7-million spending plan and a general levy of $96.3 million for next year.
The draft budget, which will be presented at council’s November 12th meeting, represents a proposed increase of about five per cent to the County share of municipal property taxes. After adjustments for library services and court security, that translates to an estimated rise of $66 per year — about $5.50 a month — for residents of Woodstock, and $75 per year — or $6.25 a month — for residents of Blandford-Blenheim, East Zorra-Tavistock, Ingersoll, Norwich, South-West Oxford, Tillsonburg, and Zorra.
Officials note these figures remain estimates and may change through the budget process or following the final assessment roll from the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation later this year.
The 2026 budget proposes a $277.8-million operating plan to fund County services, including affordable housing, long-term care at Woodingford Lodge, safe drinking water, traffic calming and road safety, paramedic services, support for unhoused and vulnerable residents, and County library operations.
Capital investments total $127.9 million, with an additional $75.3 million earmarked for future infrastructure funding through reserve transfers. These investments align with the County’s Asset Management Plan and include roads, bridges, water and wastewater systems, facilities, and information technology.
The Oxford County Library levy would rise by 9.5 per cent to $6.3 million for all municipalities except the City of Woodstock, which operates its own library system. That increase equates to an additional $10 per year for affected households and would support permanent programming for the “Ox on the Run” mobile library unit, currently a pilot project.
Meanwhile, the budget allocates $61,266 for court security and prisoner transportation paid to the City of Woodstock — a 50.4 per cent reduction from 2025 — resulting in a $1 decrease on the average residential tax bill.
New priorities in the draft budget include a Homelessness Support Services Fund, a Paramedic Services deployment and facilities review, and the development of a new Official Plan to guide community growth and development across the County.
If approved, municipal property taxes would cover roughly 23.4 per cent of Oxford County’s total budget. The remainder would come from provincial and federal funding, reserves, user fees, and other sources such as water and wastewater utility rates and debentures.
