Mayor Cleveland Presents First “Mayor’s Budget” with a Responsible, Stabilizing Approach to Municipal Finances

Cobourg Mayor Lucas Cleveland has released the Town’s first Mayor’s Budget, proposing a 2026 municipal levy increase of 2.70%. The proposal reflects a disciplined approach to financial management that safeguards essential services while keeping costs as low as possible for Cobourg residents during a period of ongoing inflation and provincial downloading.

Balanced Levy Built on Core Service Stability
The 2.70% overall levy increase is composed of three main components:

• Town of Cobourg municipal operating increase: 2.70%
• Cobourg Public Library levy increase: 3.41%
• Cobourg Police Services levy increase: 6.31%

Despite increases in pressure points such as wages, utilities, insurance, and legislated/emergency services requirements, the Mayor’s Budget maintains essential service levels and avoids sharp cost escalations.

Cobourg Police Services: All CPSB Budget Requests Fully Funded
The Mayor’s Budget achieves the full funding of all Cobourg Police Services Board (CPSB) budget requests without requiring a higher levy increase than originally forecasted.

The Police Services levy of 6.31% ensures:

• Continued implementation of the CPSB’s strategic operational priorities
• Maintenance of frontline service levels
• Stable funding for mandatory policing responsibilities

This budget respects the governance role of the CPSB while ensuring accountability to Cobourg taxpayers.

Cobourg Public Library: No Reduction in Hours or Access
The library’s 3.41% levy increase allows the Cobourg Public Library to maintain its full operating hours, preserving access for families, students, and seniors. Despite cost pressures common across the library sector—staffing, materials, programming, and facility operations—the budget avoids any cuts to availability or core services.

A Focus on Stability, Planning, and Controlling Costs
The underlying 2026 budget continues the Town’s shift toward predictable, sustainable financial planning:

• Steady, moderate levy growth instead of past years’ large swings
• Direct control spending held to 2.70%
• Continued use of responsible forecasting and departmental accountability
• Significant restraint in discretionary spending across all departments

Protecting Residents During Financial Pressures
Mayor Cleveland notes that the Town continues to face inflationary pressures in several key areas—including insurance, utilities, labour costs, building maintenance, fire services needs, and technology/system requirements. The Mayor’s Budget responds with:

• Avoidance of large new program expansions
• Cost containment measures across non-essential lines
• A commitment to maintaining community safety, quality of life, and accessibility

“Today I am presenting the Mayor’s Budget, but it is important to be clear: this is only a draft. It now moves to Council, who will ultimately decide whether this draft is acceptable or if they want to amend it. Any changes will require a majority vote of Council and so Council as a whole will ultimately determine the final levy and budget allocations.”  

To view the Budget documents, visit www.EngageCobourg.ca/2026Budget.