Please see general information related to the budget process on the main “Budget” page.
A draft 2026 budget document will be released the week of October 13 to provide an opportunity for consultation with Council and the public before the 2026 budget meetings take place. The draft budget document will be posted here when available.
How to Get Involved
Members of the public can provide feedback on the draft budget through the following activities/events:
Pop-Up Events:
- Stratford Farmer’s Market at 357 McCarthy Road, Stratford – Saturday, November 1, 2025, from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
- The Local Community Food Centre at 612 Erie Street, Stratford – Monday, November 3, 2025, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
In-Person Open House:
A 2026 Budget Open House will be scheduled for the first week of November (details to follow). It will be located in the City Hall Auditorium.
2026 Budget Online Engagement:
We will be using online tools available on Engage Stratford to gather feedback from the community on the draft budget once it is released.
Mayor’s 2026 Budget:
The City of Stratford became a Strong Mayor City on May 1, 2025, and the 2026 budget process reflects this change.
For an explanation on the Strong Mayor budget process and proposed 2026 timeline for Stratford, please review page 4 report of the Council Agenda dated August 13, 2025. This report also includes the 2026 Budget Mayoral Direction that is informing the development of the 2026 Draft Budget document, and that will be released to Council and the public the week of October 13, 2025.
Following consultation activities, the Mayor’s 2026 Draft Budget will be released the week of November 17, 2025. Members of Council will then have 15 days to propose amendments to the budget. Amendments will be considered during the following meetings of the Finance and Labour Relations Committee as needed:
- November 27, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.: The Mayor’s Draft 2026 budget will be presented.
- December 1, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (continuation, if required).
- December 2, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (continuation, if required).
Following any amendments by Council, the Mayor will have an opportunity to veto those amendment(s). Council can then override the veto within 7 days if two-thirds of all council members vote to override the veto.
At the end of this process, the resulting budget is adopted by the City. It is anticipated that the 2026 budget will be adopted prior to mid-December 2025.
All meetings are open to the public and will be held in the City Hall Council Chambers. Meetings may be viewed online through the following link:
https://video.isilive.ca/stratford/live.html
Mayoral decisions will be posted to the City’s website on the Strong Mayor Powers, Decisions and Directions page.
If you have questions about the 2026 budget, please contact by email or telephone 519-271-0250 ext. 5202.
2026 Community Grants
Applications are now being accepted for the 2026 Community Grants Program. Please review the online application form, along with the guidelines and policy that are contained within the form.
Applications will be accepted up to Friday, November 28, 2025. Please email us if you have any questions.