Essex County Council approved a Decision Filter Framework to help prioritize projects, during its August 5 meeting.
Earlier this year, County Council and administration connected with consulting firm StrategyCorp to conduct an update on how progress was being made on the County’s first Strategic Plan, which built a roadmap to take the County into the next Term of Council.
CAO Sandra Zwiers said the Decision Filter Framework proposal was something StrategyCorp put together through the Strategic Plan. One of the topics of conversation was beefing up the County’s ability to sequence, prioritize, and filter items that come across the table in terms of opportunities and challenges.
The County Senior leadership team, she said, believes the Decision Filter Framework fully encompasses the various components of decision-making that the County needs to ensure is satisfied before projects become more squarely on the plate of administration from a resource perspective.
The Decision Filter Framework has seven different categories, including: does it meet the Strategic Plan, if it will impact the County level in terms of regional benefit, funding model, sustainability, capacity to get the matter off the ground, jurisdiction to ensure efforts do not overlap with local municipalities, and timing/urgency.
The idea is to use the Decision Filter Framework in decision-making moving forward, Zwiers explained.
Mayor of Lakeshore Tracy Bailey was thrilled to see this come forward.
“I think it is just brilliant because it creates this foundational document that helps us make decisions, but doesn’t align with an emotional response or the other things that kind of weigh on you,” Bailey said. “It brings evidence, I think, to decision-making, and it lets us build a foundational response when the Chambers might be full, and maybe it’s not a popular decision. But we run it through this funnel, and we recognize that we have this foundation to support us through difficult decision-making.”
Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy also really likes the Decision Filter Framework. She would like to take it back to the Town of Essex to help streamline decision-making there.
Bondy did ask if it allows for some flexibility in case something comes up unexpectedly?
“I love it, but sometimes things still come up, and I still want us to be able to be responsive,” Bondy said.
“Definitely,” CAO Zwiers said. “Nothing about this Decision Filter would prohibit ideas or concepts that administration believes should come to this table, but it does give a framework to help Council and administration prioritize whether we act or whether we put it on a shelf.”
Essex Deputy Mayor Rob Shepley liked the idea, however looking at the regional aspect, if one municipality is negatively affected by a situation, he would like that information brought to County Council, so County Council can be aware of any possible burdens placed on any individual municipality.
Zwiers said she believes it’s important that all reports from administration are balanced, and that County Council is provided the information it needs to hear, not what administration thinks Council wants to hear.
The Decision Filter Framework will be appended to the County Strategic Plan, and it will be posted publicly on the County’s website.
By Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Original Published on Aug 12, 2026 at 12:11
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