Grey County has a road map to 2027 with the adoption of a new strategic plan. The strategy, titled Working Together for Success, builds on Grey County’s belief that residents are best served through collaboration and coordination of municipal services. The plan draws on various studies, strategies, and reports from recent years and was approved by County Council at the March 28 meeting.
“The strategic plan is a tool Grey County Council and the senior management team will use to stay focused on the things that matter most to our residents: effective management, stewardship of public assets, building for the future, and addressing the housing crisis,” said Brian Milne, Grey County Warden. “By focusing on these priorities, we can make the greatest impact in our communities.”
Grey County delivers programs and services to more than 100,000 full-time residents, 12,000 businesses and 3 million annual visitors. County services include social housing, childcare, Ontario Works benefit administration, paramedic services, three long-term care homes, maintaining the county road network, land use planning, and administration of Provincial Offences court. Grey County also supports regional economic development and tourism and helps preserve local history through Grey Roots Museum and Archives.
Grey County’s vision is a county where people feel genuinely at home and naturally inspired, enjoying healthy active living and economic opportunity. Grey County is committed to the coordinated delivery of cost-effective and responsive services that strengthen the economic, social, environmental, and cultural well-being of the community.
“When there are a number of competing needs and challenges it’s important to prioritize effort and investments,” explained Grey County CAO Kim Wingrove. “All of these needs are important, but every issue can’t be a priority. By working through the strategic planning process, Council has identified key areas to focus in for the next four years.”
Grey County values integrity, collaboration and equity, and sustainability, and this is demonstrated through the four priority areas of the plan. The first priority area is the continuous improvement in operational efficiency and service delivery. The goal is to contain spending and improve service access and quality through innovation.
The strategy’s second priority area is building communities for the future through infrastructure, programs and services that are future ready and sustainable. Grey County’s goal is to collaborate with member municipalities and upper levels of government to create and implement plans, programs, and infrastructure investments to support resident quality of life and business success.
The third priority area is internal workforce development with a focus on municipal workforce attraction, retention, and skills development. Like many sectors, Grey County is facing a labour shortage. Grey County’s goal is to develop the skills and experience of existing staff to meet current and future needs of the county.
The final priority of the strategy is improving access to housing for all residents of Grey County. The goal is to increase the availability of housing options and housing types to meet the current and future needs of our growing population.
“Grey County is committed to the priorities and goals identified in the strategy. These will form the basis of our work planning and budgeting and will be incorporated into performance plans to ensure accountability to Council and the community,” explained CAO Wingrove.
Quarterly updates will be provided during the CAO Performance Evaluation Committee and annual strategic plan reports will be presented to Grey County Council.
More details about Working Together for Success, the 2024-2027 Corporate Strategic Plan, can be found on the Grey County website at www.grey.ca/strategic-plan.
