2026 Business Plan and Budget approved

Oxford County Council approved the 2026 Business Plan and Budget yesterday, authorizing a total budget of $406.1 million that includes a $278.2 million operating budget and $127.9 million in capital projects. 

The approved budget will result in a general levy increase, the amount of funding collected through taxation, of $96.7 million. After adjustments for library services and court security, this will bring an increase to the County share of municipal property taxes of:

• $69 for the year, or $6 per month, for residents of Woodstock, a 5.2% increase over 2025;
• $77 for the year, or $7 per month, for residents of Blandford-Blenheim, East Zorra-Tavistock, Ingersoll, Norwich, South-West Oxford, Tillsonburg and Zorra, a 5.3% increase.

This number is an estimate only based on the average current value assessment of a single family detached residential home in Oxford County, a value determined by the MPAC (Municipal Property Assessment Corporation) assessment each year.

The 2026 Budget places strong emphasis on health care and housing. Key investments include: 

• Housing and homelessness prevention, including $400,000 for a Homelessness Support Services Fund and an increase of $600,000 annually for needs across the housing continuum, from $3 million to $3.6 million. The increase to base funding was initiated by County Council during the budget process. Over the past five years, Oxford County’s investment in housing initiatives has more than doubled, from $5.7 million in 2022 to $13.0 million for 2026.
  
• Paramedic Services, including a Paramedic Services deployment and facilities review, ambulance investment, and paramedic staffing to maintain response times. Paramedic Services was ranked as the number one priority for County services in the 2026 Budget Survey.
• Road safety, including the launch of a traffic management and road safety service to respond to increasing community concerns about speeding and road safety. Since 2018, County staff have carried out more than 350 traffic management and road safety initiatives across the County. The need for this work is increasing with the growth of communities and the complexity of road safety programs.
• Support for public health as part of Oxford County’s legislated requirement to provide annual funding to Southwestern Public Health. This accounts for $5 million of the 2026 tax levy, an increase of 8.5% over 2025.

Other new initiatives funded through the budget in support of the 2023-2026 Strategic Plan include permanent funding to maintain Ox On the Run, the County’s mobile library unit serving communities without a public library; the purchase of specialized winter road maintenance equipment; and the development of a new Official Plan to guide community growth and development. 

Through the budget process, County Council brought forward 23 notices of motion, 10 of which were carried resulting in changes to the draft budget. Notices of motion are requests by Councillors to change the budget either by adding or removing items. In addition to the increase in annual funding for affordable housing, other notices of motion include a grant coordinator role to pursue funding from other agencies and levels of government; moving planned work for the Plattsville new well project into the 2026 budget from 2027; and installing a pedestrian crosswalk in Princeton in 2026 to improve pedestrian safety in the community. 

Under the Oxford County Grants Program at total of $250,000 will be allocated to community agencies and projects, including Small Business Centre–Oxford and Oxford Connection ($50,000 each), Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oxford County ($35,000) Helping Hand Food Bank ($33,000), and Ingamo Family Homes ($31,500). Applications to Grant Program open in May of each year.

The County’s $127.9 million capital plan for 2026 includes $32.2 million for multi-year projects continuing from 2025 and an additional $102.3 million in new requests. Key investments include $12.3 million for bridge and culvert replacements; $4.9 million for upgrades to Tillsonburg Well 7A; $1.8 million for the Mount Elgin Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion; $1.8 million in maintenance for County housing properties; and $370,000 for the Plattsville drinking water system filtration project and new well.

The final updated budget document and final municipal tax impact figures will be posted for the public in January. Past budget presentations and budget meetings recordings are available online at www.oxfordcounty.ca/2026budget.

Comment

Warden Marcus Ryan, Oxford County

“County Council undertakes the budget process with a high level of care and deliberation, ensuring it aligns with our Strategic Plan goals of providing quality of life and a sustainable future for residents. The 2026 budget focuses on our most essential needs so that they don’t become larger issues to resolve in the future: maintaining ambulance response times for health emergencies, ensuring high-quality long-term care is available in our community, keeping our roads safe, preventing homelessness and providing affordable housing, ensuring we have reliable municipal infrastructure, and supporting strong public health services for our residents.”

2026 Budget: Quick facts

• Oxford County programs and services funded through the budget include affordable housing, supports for vulnerable and unhoused people, safe drinking water, traffic calming and road safety, paramedic services, long-term care at Woodingford Lodge, reliable municipal infrastructure, community planning and development, provincial offences administration, County library services, and more.
• The $6.3 million levy (9.6% increase) for Oxford County Library is applied to each municipality except City of Woodstock, which operates Woodstock Public Library. This represents an additional $10 per year for households in those communities.
• The County budget provides $61,266 for court security and prisoner transportation paid to City of Woodstock, a decrease of 50.4%, resulting in a residential property tax bill decrease of $1 over 2025.
• A total of 19.4 new full-time equivalent roles were approved as part of the budget, including 5 paramedics.
• If approved, 2026 municipal property taxes would fund just over a quarter of the County budget (25.4%). Other funding sources include provincial and federal funding, reserves (funds earmarked for future expenses), user fees and charges (e.g., water and wastewater rates collected by utilities), and other charges and debentures. 

Background

• The annual residential property tax bill issued by your city, town or township is made up of taxes for the services provided by Oxford County, your local municipality, and your local school board.

• Oxford County services that represent the largest investments in 2026 include water and wastewater, roads, long-term care at Woodingford Lodge, and paramedic services.

• Results from the 2026 Budget Survey showed that Paramedic Services ranked as the #1 community priority going into this year’s budget. Other high-ranked County services included affordable housing; municipal infrastructure (roads, bridges, and stormwater); long-term care; and waste management (curbside garbage and recycling collection). Download the survey highlights

About Oxford County

Located in southwestern Ontario at the crossroads of Highways 401 and 403, Oxford County has a population of approximately 140,000 people across eight area municipalities that are “growing stronger together.” A partnership-oriented, two-tier municipal government, Oxford County is committed to 100% renewable energy, zero waste, zero poverty, and being 100% housed. Oxford County is situated in one of Ontario’s richest areas for farmland, with a diversified local economy that is home to an innovative agricultural industry, leading automotive manufacturers, and the Oxford County Cheese Trail. Oxford also offers a thriving local arts and culinary community, as well as conservation parks, natural areas and more than 100 kilometres of scenic trails. The County’s Strategic Plan puts forward a vision of “Working together for a healthy, vibrant, and sustainable future.” The Oxford County Administration Building is in Woodstock, Ontario. Visit www.oxfordcounty.ca, follow us on social media, or download our Facts and Stats to learn more.