Presentation of the 2026 Municipal Budget in North Hatley
This Wednesday, December 17 at 4:00 p.m., the Municipality of North Hatley will present its annual budget for 2026. The budget is a pivotal moment in municipal life: it is when the Council’s orientations, priorities, and commitments take concrete, quantified, and measurable form. In practice, what is not included in the budget does not exist—regardless of stated intentions or public statements.
Rigor in Public Finances
In the current context, it seems necessary to adopt a critical stance. Between the dispute surrounding the repayment of the 2024 municipal debt, the purchase of two snowplow trucks, and the significant increase in administrative expenses observed over recent years, the situation clearly calls for greater financial discipline. More than ever, the Municipality of North Hatley must deliver a budget presentation that is serious, structured, and transparent.
As a citizen, I therefore expect a presentation based on complete, coherent, comparable, and clearly explained figures.
The Previous Financial Presentation
View the PowerPoint from the September financial presentation.
I have already publicly expressed my reservations regarding the quality of the financial presentation delivered last September. It left several grey areas and raised more questions than it provided answers. I sincerely hope that the presentation of the 2026 budget will represent a marked improvement, both in substance and in form.
However, to properly plan for 2026, it is essential to have a clear and up-to-date picture of the municipality’s financial situation for 2025. This raises an important question: will we have access, before Wednesday, to the current financial results for 2025? In my view, this is a fundamental prerequisite to understanding, analyzing, and ultimately approving a budget for the following year.
2025 Forecasts and Actual Results
In the same vein, it is essential to be able to compare the 2025 budget—both revenues and expenditures—with the actual results of the current fiscal year. This exercise makes it possible to verify whether forecasts were respected and, if not, to obtain clear explanations for the variances observed.
2025 Budgets
Download the 2025 revenue budget of North Hatley
Download the 2025 expenditure budget of North Hatley
Without such a comparison, the very usefulness of the budget becomes questionable. A budget that is neither monitored nor measured nor compared risks becoming little more than a communication exercise: it is presented, adopted… and then quickly forgotten.
This raises a fundamental question: when and how will the 2025 financial results be officially presented in comparison with the adopted budget? Did we respect the 2025 budget adopted in 2024? This is an important point to verify, especially as we prepare to adopt the 2026 budget.
Thank you for shedding light on this matter.
The Concept of a Budget
The Fundamental Role of the Budget
A municipal budget is not a mere administrative formality. It is a true financial compass. It must answer two essential questions:
- Where does public money go?
- Why do we invest in one area rather than another?
In principle, a budget should be rooted in clear and openly stated strategic objectives. However, I feel compelled to question the clarity of these objectives in North Hatley. Perhaps I missed the strategic plan? Let us not confuse it with the master plan, which I have read and reread carefully, but which remains disconnected when it comes to concrete financial priorities.
What Defines a Good Budget
A good budget is not limited to achieving a simple accounting balance. It must be:
- consistent with the stated priorities;
- transparent in its assumptions;
- rigorously monitored throughout the year; and
- capable of producing results that closely match projections.
Municipal Objectives
The question therefore remains unanswered: what are the municipality’s precise objectives for 2026, as they are concretely reflected in the budget? Conversely, what is the municipality truly seeking to accomplish through this financial exercise?
In a municipal context, the budget must aim not only for balance, but above all for clear, measurable, and verifiable accountability.
A Public Session at a Difficult Time
Finally, it should be noted that holding such an important budget presentation at 4:00 p.m. on a weekday makes it difficult for many citizens to attend—especially those who work and have children. Despite this, I intend to make myself available to attend.
That said, I wish you a successful presentation of the 2026 budget.
