By: Pam Wright, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Source: Chatham Voice

When chief financial officer Gord Quinton told Chatham-Kent council the municipality is virtually debt free, South Kent Coun. Anthony Ceccacci asked him to say it again.

“We’re basically debt free right now,” Quinton said in response to the councillor’s request at the July 27 council meeting.

Ceccacci said he asked Quinton to repeat the answer as “some of the narrative” circulating in the public is the “exact opposite” of the statement.

“So, I think that it’s important that sentiment be said,” Ceccacci stated.

Quinton’s comments were part of question-and-answer session that followed a presentation from staff outlining Chatham-Kent’s long-term financial plan. Prepared by a team of five, the report detailed the municipality’s current financial status, as well as its future prospects.

According to the report, 45 per cent of C-K’s $538 million annual budget is funded by property tax; 32 per cent comes from senior government grants; 12 per cent is funded through the Chatham-Kent Public Utilities Commission; user fees account for five per cent; and the remaining five per cent is attributed to miscellaneous.

Quinton explained that C-K’s current financial position is important, as the municipality is facing a $2.6-billion infrastructure gap. He said the municipality is now in a position where it can borrow up to $900 million if it wanted. Chatham-Kent’s debt load is around $4 million, he said, and there are $300 million in reserves.

Plus, he said, the municipality collected $22.1 million in non-taxable revenue through investments.

Citing affordability, accountability and value for dollars spent as the cornerstones of C-K’s financial approach, Quinton said Chatham-Kent has been paying down its debt for the last decade and has taken a “pay as you go” approach towards major projects such as the $14-million upgrade on Chatham’s Third Street Bridge.

Other projects, such as the coming Westcourt affordable housing build in Wallaceburg, offer an opportunity to utilize senior government funding and borrow money at low interest to complete projects that benefit future generations, Quinton said.

The continued lobbying of upper-tier governments is also paramount, he said.

As part of the presentation, Chatham-Kent’s population growth was showcased based on estimates from Statistics Canada. At 1.23 per cent, C-K outpaced all neighbouring communities in growth in 2025 and also surpassed Ontario’s 0.70 per cent growth rate.

C-K’s population is now set at 113,000, with 8,500 residents moving here in the last decade.

But the statistic was countered by Chatham councillor and mayoral hopeful Michael Bondy.

In response to Bondy’s query about the Stats Can estimate, general manager of development services Bruce McAllister said the federal agency generates “pretty accurate projections” on an annual basis.

However, Bondy countered that “it’s not a ‘real’ number; it’s a guess.”

Following a question from Chatham Coun. Alysson Storey about accessing reserves, Quinton stated the province does not legislate the dollar figure a municipality must have in reserves.

“We’ve been successful in building up these reserves to give financial flexibility,” Quinton said.

“We’ve worked on paying off our debt in the last decade. Because we did that, we have the ability to invest in Chatham-Kent to deal with some of our aging assets and plan for the future.”

And while Chatham-Kent has $300 million in reserves, Quinton said the bulk of that money is earmarked for specific purposes and can’t be applied to projects at will.

Because Chatham-Kent Public Utilities Commission can’t take on debt, the municipality has to borrow on its behalf, lending the PUC money for big projects, he said, putting PUC numbers on C-K’s balance sheet.

But he noted PUC costs are paid by the utility’s customers, not taxpayers.

In his comments, Mayor Darrin Canniff had words of praise for the upbeat financial picture.

“I think council should be very proud of themselves collectively,” he said, thanks to the “strong balance sheet, we’re passing to the next council, it will allow them a lot of opportunities for strategic investment.”

An updated version of the financial report will be provided to the new C-K council early in 2027.