Together. Sounds like a plan - County seeking community input to inform 2023-2027 Community Strategic Plan

What is your vision for the future of Northumberland? And what actions can we take, together, to make this vision as reality? Northumberland County is posing these questions and more to residents, community partners, and staff as it launches community consultation to inform creation of a new four-year Community Strategic Plan.

“We are charting a course for the next four years and beyond, and have structured a collaborative process to ensure we are building a plan that best reflects community needs and expectations,” states Warden Mandy Martin. “We are asking you, our residents and partners, to share your thoughts about where your County level of government should be directing its focus to ensure Northumberland continues to be a great place to live, work, and visit. Together, we will set a shared vision for the future of Northumberland. We will define priorities and actions for the next four years that will set us on the path to achieving this vision.”

Every four years, Northumberland County undertakes a strategic planning process to identify the shared priorities that will then inform decision-making reflected in its annual budget and long-term financial plan. The 2023-2027 Community Strategic Plan will be a guiding framework as the County navigates a period of significant transformational change. This includes changes related to growth and development, economic renewal, climate change, community health and well-being, and evolving government services and accountabilities.

This plan will create a common understanding of the work Northumberland County will focus on to:

• Achieve a high quality of life for residents;
• Encourage a thriving economy for local businesses;
• Develop memorable experiences for visitors; and
• Earn the trust and confidence of community members.

“The Community Strategic Plan will guide the work of Council and staff in seizing new opportunities and addressing the unique needs of our community,” states CAO Jennifer Moore. “Engaging residents, businesses, and community partners in this important work is vital to create a plan that inspires collective action on shared priorities. The resulting plan will also be an expression of the County’s commitment to our community: that, with an eye always to the future, we will ensure innovation and resilience in our operations to continue delivering the programs and services that people rely upon.”

Community consultation launches today, and will take place throughout the month of May, concluding June 2, 2023. There are several ways for community members to engage in this process, and stay informed of the progress of this work.

• Via Join In Northumberland, the County’s online consultation portal:
  • Share your vision for our community – and what actions can be taken to make this vision a reality – by completing a brief questionnaire. Postcard questionnaires will also available at locations throughout the community starting the week of May 15th, and a random sample of approximately 10,000 households will receive a copy in the mail this month.
  • Post ideas and comments about important priorities to our ‘Ideas Boards’.
  • Stay up to date on the progress of this initiative by subscribing to email updates.
  • Connect in-person to share your feedback at one of our ‘community conversation’ pop-up locations around Northumberland later in May (locations to be announced shortly).

In addition to input gathered through this process, a unique input to the County’s strategic planning process will be feedback gathered through community consultation done in collaboration with the Ontario Health Team of Northumberland (OHT-N)'s regional strategic planning process in 2022. This cross-county consultation was organized to identify local health and well-being priorities, as experienced by area residents and service providers. This included strategy sessions with over 170 participants exploring challenges and opportunities around themes such as inclusion, systemic inequality, and social determinants of health, aging well at home, supporting mental health and addictions care, and more.

Feedback collected previously through the County’s annual budget process, Official Plan update, emergency shelter system review, Transportation Master Plan, and other key projects will also inform development of the 2023-2027 Community Strategic Plan.