Essex County Council has approved a 2025 Budget that is fiscally responsible and maintains service levels despite inflationary pressures while making substantial investments in health care, affordable housing and infrastructure to accommodate historic growth and improve the quality of life for residents.

“Our Strategic Plan calls for the County of Essex to be a regional champion delivering services for the success of our local communities and residents and it calls for the County to be a powerhouse in public and private investment attraction,” said Warden Hilda MacDonald.

“This budget does that by maintaining services for our residents and by investing in infrastructure to lay the foundation for continued prosperity and growth.”

The $98.1-million road construction capital program for 2025 puts $67.6 million into capacity expansion and another $20.6 million into rehabilitation projects spanning 33 km across multiple municipalities. There is also a $4.9-million investment in the County Wide Active Transportation System, including about 20 km of paved shoulder projects that make county roads safer for cyclists, pedestrians and motorists.

Key projects include the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of County Road 46 and Rochester Town Line and continued work on the vital corridors of County Road 42 and County Road 43. Work on the Transportation Master Plan will continue and design work will be undertaken for the County Road 22 Corridor Enhancement Project. Two bridges will be rehabilitated and three culverts will be replaced.

The budget replaces seven ambulances, two early response vehicles and two trucks for Essex-Windsor EMS and adds an additional ambulance to the fleet to support the 2024 addition of 16 Paramedics. It includes funding for the design of an EMS headquarters.

It also replaces 42 Stryker stretchers and adds the position of logistics technician, as recommended in the 2019 master plan, to ensure ambulances are equipped, regularly inspected and in steady state of operational readiness.

Crucially, this budget takes care of the people who take care of us by boosting mental wellness supports for Paramedics. Essex-Windsor EMS is on track to respond to a record 65,000 calls by the end of 2024 and, as the total number rises, so does the number of traumatic calls.

A manager of employee wellness will proactively ensure Paramedics get the critical care they need and will provide much-needed assistance to the existing Peer Support team.

Work will continue in 2025 on a Regional Affordable Housing Strategy and so will funding for vital programs like the Homelessness Hub in Leamington, which reported 3,361 visits from January through October, and the Warming Centre, which reported 552 total visits from mid-January to mid-April.

The budget provides $1 million in addition to the $1 million provided last year to the Bridge in Leamington as part of a two-year commitment to construct 38 tiny homes and invests $48,000 as part of the County’s ongoing 20-year commitment to the Bridge. As well, this budget invests $2.3 million for the renewal of aging affordable housing stock.

The budget supports enhancements at Sun Parlor long-term care home to increase the amount of nursing time spent per resident and it supports the acquisition of new materials and the replacement of worn furniture in the Essex County Library system.

County Council underscored its longstanding commitment to a new, state-of-the art hospital. This budget includes an additional $7 million for the reserve for a new hospital – an increase of $680,000 over last year. The County has committed itself to raising $100 million for the new hospital and the reserve is forecast to be at $57 million by the end of 2025.

This budget also includes $200,000 for Erie Shores HealthCare in Leamington as part of an ongoing 10-year commitment.

“This was a challenging year because of inflationary pressures and County of Essex staff from all departments are to be commended for building a fiscally responsible budget that works toward Strategic Plan priorities while carefully determining how every dollar can be spent as effectively as possible,” said CAO Sandra Zwiers.

The 2025 budget of $140,275,380 represents a levy increase of 3.76 per cent or $7,993,190. That translates into $60.96 per $300,000 of assessment.

Highlights:

Roads: A $98.1 million construction program, including $67.6 million for capacity expansion and $20.6 million for road rehabilitation projects spanning 33 km.

CWATS: $4.9 million for active transportation projects, including about 20 km of paved shoulders in multiple municipalities.

Essex-Windsor EMS: Replacement of seven ambulances, two early response vehicles and two trucks and the addition to the fleet of an ambulance to support the 2024 addition of 16 Paramedics. Addition of a manager of employee wellness and a logistics technician, as recommended in the EWEMS master plan.

Sun Parlor Home: Increased staffing hours to provide an enhancement of direct nursing care for residents.

Housing: Continued funding for the Regional Affordable Housing Strategy and $1 million on top of the $1 million invested last year as part of a two-year commitment to support the construction of 36 tiny homes in partnership with The Bridge in Leamington. Continued funding of the Homelessness Hub in Leamington. About $2.3 million for the renewal of aging affordable housing stock.

Essex County Library: Replacement of worn furniture and funding to cover inflationary costs associated with new materials.

Hospital: A $7-million investment toward Essex County’s $100-million commitment to the new hospital, bringing the total that will be set aside by the end of 2025 to $57 million. An investment of $200,000 for Erie Shores Health Care in Leamington as part an ongoing 10-year commitment.

Credit Rating: AAA with a stable outlook.