County to explore options for future affordability and governance of Haliburton County

County to explore options for future affordability and governance of Haliburton County

Haliburton County, ON, April 8, 2026 – At its April 8, 2026 meeting, County Council unanimously directed staff to move forward with a community-wide study aimed at gathering information about how Haliburton County can operate more effectively, improve efficiency, and provide better value for taxpayers.

“As municipal governments, it’s our job to deliver services in a way that is practical and affordable for our taxpayers,” said Dave Burton, Warden, County of Haliburton. “I am pleased that the County is moving forward with a study to get good information about how we can improve efficiency across Haliburton County. This is Haliburton County’s study with the goal of improving how we operate while keeping what makes Haliburton County a fantastic place to live, visit, work, and do business.”  

The study is targeted to run from April 30 to July 31, 2026 and will be led by the Eastern Ontario Regional Network (EORN). EORN is an independent group of respected advisors who understand rural Eastern Ontario, Haliburton County, and the County’s unique challenges. The study team will develop a community engagement plan that includes opportunities for everyone in Haliburton County to share ideas.

The purpose of the study is to come up with options that would help ensure the long-term financial health of County communities. The County of Haliburton and its local municipalities are facing rising costs, including many external costs that are out of County control. They are also facing significant financial pressure to fund needed capital investments over the next decade. The County and local councillors want to ensure they can create the right conditions for growth and stability so that people and businesses can thrive in our community over the long term.

While part of the goal of the study is to identify and evaluate options for different governance structures, all options are on the table. Once complete, a final study report will be made public later this summer. It will be forwarded to the 2026-2030 Councils for consideration and potential implementation.

Details about how to participate in the engagement process will be shared as soon as they are available. The project will provide opportunities for people to provide input in several ways, including online and at in-person sessions. We look forward to hearing from the community about what matters to them.

Once complete, a final study report will be made public later this summer. It will be forwarded to the 2026-2030 Councils for consideration and potential implementation.

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