Capital budget amendments see project priorities changed, deferred

Kawartha Lakes council passed several amendments to Mayor Doug Elmslie’s proposed 2026 budget during a special meeting recently, including reshuffling and deferring road and bridge projects in the capital plan, postponing upgrades to the Emily Forest Tract and Rest Area, and adding $25,000 in funding to Women’s Resources.

The $472-million budget proposal includes the capital, operating, water-wastewater and special projects budgets.

One of the biggest shifts came in the capital budget, where council removed two projects – resurfacing Patterson Road and the Cameron Road Bridge design – and replaced them in favour of resurfacing Rodeo Drive and Lake Breeze Road in 2026.

The change will result in the Patterson Road project and the design for the Cameron Road Bridge, which is scheduled to start construction in 2030, being deferred until 2027.

Ward 3 Coun. Mike Perry, who proposed the amendment, told council he recommended the changes “due to need and to resident concerns.”

“I’ve driven all of these roads and talked to residents from Rodeo and Lake Breeze, and I’m confident in this proposal being put forward for these roads,” Perry told council.

Several other projects were rescheduled, including the resurfacing of a nearly 1.5-kilometre section of Taylor’s Road between Skyline Road and Highway 7, which was pushed to 2027 to prioritize upgrades on Brunon Avenue, Robinglade Avenue and Riverview Road.

Ward 4 Coun. Dan Joyce introduced the amendment, saying the changes were necessary to address the most urgent road repairs in his ward.

He noted that Brunon and Robinglade avenues are especially in need of resurfacing, and that he added Riverview Road – which connects the two – to the amendment because engineering staff prefer to complete work on roads in the same area at the same time.

He said the updates would benefit the approximately 60 residents who live in the area and rely on these roads daily.

“Based on their many emails and phone calls (to me), they’ll be thrilled to have their roads done,” Joyce said. “They are the worst roads I have in Ward 4.”

Joyce said he spoke to the general manager of a company on Taylor’s Road who, Joyce said, was “surprised” that Taylor’s Road was scheduled to be resurfaced in 2026.

“He is perfectly fine, as I am, to push it back one year,” Joyce said of the Taylor’s Road project.

In an effort to trim the budget, council passed an amendment recommended by Perry to cut $243,820 in spending by deferring upgrades to the Emily Forest Tract and Rest Area to a future year.

Perry said he flagged the project because it is a “growth-related item” and argued that delaying it would allow the city to fund it when both the cost of living and operating pressures have stabilized.

In 2025, the city spent $333,000 on improvements to the entrance of the Emily Forest Tract and Rest Area.

Ward 6 Coun. Ron Ashmore supported the amendment, noting that while the entrance has been significantly improved, the project could be postponed in the interest of saving money.

“Even though it’s in my ward, I feel that we spent this great amount of money and we’ve certainly improved it … but I think this is something that can be postponed for a year or a couple of years,” Ashmore said. “We have invested over $300,000 … and I think, for this year, the affordability factor does add up.”

One amendment council approved added funding to the operating budget, with Ward 8 Coun. Tracy Richardson recommending a one-time contribution of $25,000 to Women’s Resources of Kawartha Lakes to support Lori’s Place Second Stage Housing, a facility providing short-term accommodation for women fleeing abuse.

Penny Chatson, the executive director of Women’s Resources, delivered a presentation to council in November, outlining an operational shortfall and requesting $25,000 in support.

“We have done some funding in the past, and recognizing the good work that Women’s Resources and Lori’s Place do, I thought it would be a good ask of this council to support them with that $25,000,” Richardson said.

Ward 2 Coun. Pat Warren, who seconded the recommendation, characterized Lori’s Place as “a great organization.”

“I think it’s going to a good cause,” she said.