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Budget and Finance

The Town of Saugeen Shores coordinates the municipal budget and regular monitoring of revenue and expenditures. We are committed to financial accountability for our citizens and the general public.

Access our annual budget reports to learn more.

Visit our Public Meetings Calendar to find out when all-day budget meetings happen each year.

To join the conversation about the Town’s business plans, you can visit Engage Saugeen Shores.

Read the Town’s 2026 Business Plan here.

It is the most important document that any government adopts.

The plan is a blueprint that sets out anticipated spending for not only the upcoming budget year, but subsequent years as well. 

A critical component of this plan is determining where the money will come from.

All the municipality’s income is invested in programs and services that make Saugeen Shores a very desirable place to live and work.  The Plan sets out the services that the municipality will provide and defines any improvements or expenses related to buildings or resources.

The approved Business Plan for the 2026 calendar year becomes the 2026 Operating and Capital budgets.

Budget Reports

The operating budget is the plan for the day-to-day operations of the Town including salaries, legal and insurance costs, and winter control. These expenses are required annually to run the municipality.

Every Town program and service is funded through the operating budget, which is designed to ensure dependable delivery of a broad array of programs and services that residents rely on every day.

Your municipal government is responsible for providing fire and police services, roads, clean water, parks, arenas, and much more. Many of these services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

These services and programs are largely funded by tax dollars and user fees which include charges for recreation programs, water, and wastewater services.

The capital budget is the annual plan for the purchase and financing of the Town’s capital assets.

Capital assets are projects and expenses where the benefits can be seen over the course of many years, such as roads, bridges, land, buildings, machinery, and equipment.

Some examples of capital projects include the Aquatic & Wellness Centre, the Water Pollution Control Plant Upgrade, the Water Treatment Plant Expansion, and Shoreline Protection. 

Typically the bulk of the capital spending goes to maintaining and fixing existing infrastructure and is funded through tax dollars and grants included as part of the 10-year plan.  

Occasionally, projects such as the Aquatic & Wellness Centre expand services for the community and are funded through charges on the new developments being built, as well as reserves and debt financing. 

Each year, municipalities face the challenge of balancing the budget, as required by provincial legislation. A municipality can take on debt to pay for large capital acquisitions, however it must ensure that there is enough money to fund day-to-day operations.

In order to balance the budget, the Town does a careful analysis of the service levels required to meet the community's expectations of realistic taxation and user fee levels. 

Reserves are used to smooth out anticipated spending ebbs and flows between years.  

The ten-year Business Plan provides a further level of sophistication that provides a long-term perspective on cashflows and reserve balances.

Budget Reports

View our budget reports to find information on:

  • Municipal and departmental budgets
  • Expenditures and revenues
  • Taxation
  • Operating and capital budgets
  • Tax assessment and rate comparisons
  • Reserves and reserve funds

For Budget Reports from years prior to 2021, please reach out to the Finance Division.

Past Financial Statements and Returns

We release our audited financial statements each year. Statements for the previous year are typically available in July. View financial statements for the following years:

You can access copies of older audited financial statements at the Municipal Office.

The Town prepares an annual Financial Information Return (FIR) for the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. View FIRs for the following years:

Contact Us

Town of Saugeen Shores
600 Tomlinson Drive, P.O. Box 820
Port Elgin, ON N0H 2C0
Phone 519-832-2008
Toll Free 1-866-832-2008
Fax 519-832-2140