The County of Lambton is looking at a proposed 2026 budget totalling $320.9 million in spending, that would increase taxes 3.48 per cent.
The draft budget was presented during Wednesday's committee of the whole meeting.
Chief Administrative Officer Stéphane Thiffeault broke down the document, which allocates $272.5 million to operating costs and $48.4 million to capital investments.
If passed, the tax increase would amount to $18.23 per $100,000 of assessed residential value.
Compared to 2025, the gross budget for this year and the proposed tax levy are lower.
Thiffeault said this budget is mostly consumed by four divisions: social services with a budget of $130.95 million, long-term care ($56.25 million), public health services ($38.59 million), and infrastructure and development ($36.52 million).
In terms of capital expenditures, the infrastructure and development division is the main consumer with a budget of $14.8 million.
The 2026 draft incorporates investment decisions made by county council last year.
"The Kathleen Avenue development, which I mentioned earlier, was a decision made in 2025," Thiffeault said. "By the end of this year, those 50 units will be online. The small house project (12 specialized dementia care beds), of course the same thing. That new service -- that additional service, that specialized service is built into your budget for this year; same with the Petrolia child care expansion."
Other previously authorized projects, like Maxwell Park Place and the EMS headquarters, will also cause the debt load to trend upwards.
"It should reach roughly $50 million once that's issued. You've authorized it, it's not issued, but it's going to be used and it's going to hit the books by 2027," Thiffeault said.
The document includes $7 million (in total) to support affordable housing; $4 million would be allocated to the housing sustainability reserve.
"Which is meant to be utilized to maintain and repair your current housing stock, therefore, enabling that housing stock to remain available," he said.
Thiffeault also said the remaining $3 million would be allocated to the affordable housing reserve.
"But I do note, that year-over-year, that reserve contribution is about a $1 million less than last year," he said.
Multi-year funding commitments included in the draft, with $1.6 million earmarked for the Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership, $827,226 for Tourism Sarnia-Lambton, and $100,000 for the Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital.
Two funding requests, from The City of Sarnia and the County of Lambton Community Development Corporation (CLDC) Western Sarnia-Lambton Research Park, were referred to this year's budget.
The city's planning department has asked for $335,084 to support anticipated growth.
The research park is seeking a $17 million mortgage with the options of a 15 or 30-year term and additional grant funding.
Research Park Executive Director Katherine Albion spoke about the mortgage refinancing options and presented two loan repayment scenarios for council consideration.
The first, asks for $6 million over five years, based on a 15-year mortgage, with a remaining debt of $12.5 million. The second, requests $3 million over five years, based on a 30-year mortgage, with a remaining debt of $15.4 million.
Other options involve the county assuming the asset and debt, or selling the research park.
Following a council request in September, the CLDC lands and buildings were appraised at $18 million.
Budget deliberations are set to begin on February 4, one month earlier than usual.
