Each year, detailed budget information and a schedule of budget meetings is posted on North Cowichan’s online engagement platform, Connect North Cowichan. The Budget 2025 engagement topic is a great place to learn about North Cowichan’s revenues, expenses, and how tax decisions are made every year.
The budget is an outline of how money that comes into the municipality should be spent to maintain and improve the community. With limited resources available, the budget helps to determine which objectives have the highest priority and will produce the greatest positive impact in the community.
Municipal budgeting is a year-round process. Between the fall and spring each year, Council learns about each department's upcoming year's business plan, the five-year financial plan and capital expenditure plan, grant-in-aid requests, utility budgets, and tax rates. A number of dedicated budget development meetings are held by Council in the fall of each year, and the budget is approved by Council in the first quarter of the proposed budget year. During this process, residents are encouraged to attend Council meetings, listen and learn, and ask questions of Council and staff.
The current Five-Year Financial Plan and recent financial statements and annual reports can be viewed on the Financial Reports page.