Municipalities across Northumberland are already working hard to set budgets for 2026. For all the staff, it is a busy time. For residents, it is a time to keep an eye on what it all means for property taxes.

With all the rising costs of groceries, gas, and other essentials, the pressure is on to keep any increases reasonable. Often, when cuts come, a favourite target are soft services like arts, culture, grants, and the like. But what about libraries?

In this interview, Councillor Aaron Burchat will discuss the budget pressures on the Cobourg Public Library. He is the councillor assigned to sit on the library board. The Cobourg Public Library serves Cobourg and multiple locations in Hamilton Township.

Cobourg’s Mayor Lucas Cleveland used his strong mayor powers to set an overall target of a three percent increase. He set a five percent target for the overall draft budget. It will go before council for further deliberation and final approval.

Burchat will talk about the current level of service for both Cobourg and Hamilton Township. He will also look at some of the impacts, plus give his position going into budget deliberations.