Preliminary documents to prepare a 2021 budget have already been submitted by staff, Deputy Mayor Suzanne Seguin said at Cobourg council Monday, and council will hear budget presentations in December.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant financial impacts on individuals, families, businesses and industries in Cobourg,” Seguin said.
“The impact on revenues is just under $2-million in the 2020 budget. With careful management of resources, staff have offset it with savings and deferred hirings.
“I would like to hear from residents, businesses and industries what services and infrastructure investments you would like to prioritize.
“This year our decisions will be difficult. If we can achieve a back-to-basics budget and hopefully target a 0% increase, we can build on that in future years. During this pandemic, we have often said we are in this together, and that's also true for setting a budget for 2021 and beyond.”