Kawartha Lakes 2025 municipal budget by the numbers

Process began – Sept. 3

Mayor’s budget accepted and final amendments made – Dec. 5.

Number of public meetings – 14

Number of pages – 312

Budget increase – 6.2% with 3% for general operations, 1.7% for a one-year special police levy and 1.5% for the dedicated capital levy

Typical cost to taxpayers – $150 increase per year on a home assessed at $278,000 in 2016, the most recent year that MPAC assessments were done

Budget breakdown – Capital $128 million, Special Projects $5 million, Operating $272 million

Capital – primarily repairs/improvements/additions to city assets

Special Projects – primarily creation of plans/blueprints that roll over into multiple budget years

Operating – primarily what it costs to pay for the salaries of employees and services that the city provides residents

Total budget – $405 million

Total water/wastewater budget – $22 million

Water/wastewater – primarily the cost of providing clean drinking water and sanitary sewage service at multiple locations across the city and adding to that system where necessary. Only users of water and wastewater pay for it. Because it is a user pay system, water/wastewater is excluded from inclusion in the overall city budget.

City reserves – $41 million

Number of city employees – 1,500 (includes 400 part-time firefighters)

Major capital projects approved for 2025:

1. Upgrades for public use at City Hall and Kawartha Lakes Museum & Archives
2. Affordable housing, Murray Street, Fenelon Falls
3. Omemee Ice Pad System
4. Resurfacing KL Road 38
5. Road widening Colborne Street West
6. Fire Service’s new platform aerial truck
7. Paramedics’ headquarters (first 40% of build)
8. Lake Dalrymple Bridge replacement
9. Resurfacing CKL Road 41
10. Expansion of Somerville Landfill
11. Improvements to Lindsay Trail System

Approximate cost – $56 million

Budget posted – Will be on city website Dec. 20