It was training day for council in Saugeen Shores.
All councillors and department heads gathered on Tuesday for a training and strategic financial planning workshop.
The idea behind the session was to look at factors that will affect the future of the municipality and to see what strongpoints and weaknesses there are.
Councillor Victoria Serda is a strong proponent of developing the plan and during recent budget discussions, she suggested the session be held.
Serda says it’s important for council to come together as a team and discuss where the town is going and decide on how to make the municipality financially sustainable for the future.
Mayor Mike Smith says there are a number of first term council members and having a broader look at strategic planning will help them through the budget process in future years.
One of the things council and staff looked at were census figures showing the changing demographics of Saugeen Shores.
13 percent of Saugeen Shores residents currently are aged 65 or over, by 2036, that number is supposed to reach 25 percent.
The number of younger people in the municipality is declining and the population of visible minorities is increasing.
The statistics are meant to suggest to council how tax dollars should be spent in the future when it comes to delivering services and providing facilities.
Consultant Nigel Bellchamber, a former municipal administrator and public servant with over 30 years of experience led the workshop.
He says municipal councils need to take a broader look at what they do, in the context of the their own community, but the province as a whole.
Bellchamber says doing that makes it easier for council to work through the figures and keep tax rates manageable during the budget process.
He adds that the process is also important for team building, but says he could tell that Saugeen Shores Council and staff already work well as a team.