Proposed budget features tax increase just under 7 per cent
The city unveiled its proposed 2026 budget, featuring a 6.75 per cent tax increase to support municipal services and infrastructure projects at a special council meeting on Nov. 12.
Special area-specific rates for local policing and transit programs were also revealed in the budget. The increase comes in slightly lower than the seven per cent projected earlier this year in the city’s Long-Term Financial Plan.
The hike includes 3.75 per cent to maintain and enhance municipal services, two per cent for the capital infrastructure levy that funds roads, buildings, fleet and other key assets, and one per cent to support area rates, including mandated mental health crisis training and staffing for local police services, as well as an expansion of Lindsay Transit.
According to the budget pamphlet, the area rates and infrastructure levies are temporary measures that will end when their projects are finished and will not compound future tax rates.
Public feedback gathered over summer through the budget project page on Jump In, Kawartha Lakes, the city’s online engagement platform, showed that residents want taxes to remain as manageable as possible while preserving service levels.
Between Aug. 1 and Aug. 30, more than 1,700 residents visited the page and cast 586 votes on where budget money should be directed, according to the city.
The top six projects residents voted on were local health care, roads and asset maintenance, enhanced emergency response and recovery, homelessness supports, tree-planting and urban canopy restoration, and additional childcare spaces.
In response, the budget committee and city staff conducted a department-by-department review to find savings in areas such as staffing, materials, fleet management and external contracts.
In a statement, Mayor Doug Elmslie said the budget is aimed at funding areas Kawartha Lakes residents say are most important to them while keeping the tax increase as low as possible.
“It balances fiscal responsibility with a commitment to the services and amenities that make Kawartha Lakes a great place to live, work, and raise a family,” he said.
There will be deliberations on Nov. 25 and 26 to address questions and make modifications to the proposed budget.
The mayor must present the budget by Feb. 1.
For clarity, this is to say that the mill rate is NOT going from 3% to 6.75%. Rather, for every $1,000 one pays in taxes now would be increased to $1,067.50? Taxes payable will increase by 6.75%? Is that correct?
There is talk of the Kawartha Lakes Police Service needing a new Headquarters. The Fire Department will also need a new Headquarters.
Major capital investments like these are one of the reasons that we see taxes increasing in CKL beyond the rate of inflation.
Municipal councillors lament “downloading” of responsibility from the Province to the Municipality.
Policing is one of the very few cases where a Council can “upload” a service responsibility to the Province, and in Kawartha Lakes this is exactly what Kawartha Lakes Council they should be doing.
Other say “We have more control with municipal police”. Oh really? Are you aware that the Municpal Council cannot question or push back on the budget of the KLPS? Once the local police service board decides its budget, Council cant do a damn thing about it.
Every year it’s the same KLPS budget presentation with updated pricing. Tazers cost more, Ford Explorers cost more, and we need more $6,000 portable radios. Please raise taxes.
It’s time to retire the Kawartha Lakes Police Service and to contract the Ontario Provincial Police to provide Police Services for Lindsay and Ops. We can no longer afford two Police Services, and the time to rationalize is before we make a 50 year and probably $50 Million capital investment for a new Police Headquarters building for the KLPS.
Sure, Kawartha Lakes still pays the OPP for operational cost of Municipal Policing, but with the OPP, the City does not have to directly fund Long Term Capital Investments for OPP Detachments/Stations, Fleet and Equipment. The Province funds those investments.
It’s these long term capital investments and the dedicated infrastructure levy that is sending our property tax bills sky high with near 7% increases, well beyond the rate of inflation. Not building a new Municipal Police Headquarters would save probably $50 Million, and it would save the debenture interest which is the way CKL borrows money to and pays interest to fund big projects.
With Lindsay policing turned over to the OPP, the OPP would operate from their nearly new 23,000 square foot detachment which the Province built near the Provincial Court Building at Kent St and Hwy 35.
The existing KLPS building behind the Lindsay Library could be retrofitted as the new Fire Department Headquarters, providing offices, meeting and storage space that is clearly needed, and avoiding another new emergency services headquarters.
This is not a ground breaking concept. The Town of Cobourg and Municipality of Port Hope hired a consultant to study various options for policing. Cobourg and Port Hope each have a Municipal Police Service. The Consultant was engaged to look at combining Police Services, and to look at the cost saving of transitioning to OPP to harmonize with the rest of Northumberland County.
The consultant identified correctly that the cost of a new Municipal Police Headquarters for the combinced Cobourg-Port Hope municipal police would be necessary and made the Municipal Policing Cost more expensive than consolidating to OPP.
There will be many opinions on this topic. Some argues that we have local control through a local olice service board.
Do we really? Does having a municipal council give us control? The Strong Mayor powers seem to have usurped the collective power of council, particularly around setting the annual budget.
If the OPP is good enough for Bobcaygeon, it’s it’s good enough for Fenelon Falls, for Woodville, for Pontypool, for Omemee – What is the OPP not good enough for Lindsay? The last review of Policing in Kawartha Lakes was 2013. The study reesulted in the then municpal council concluding that yes, there would be a substantial savings by going to the OPP, but that Lindsay and Ops taxpayers like paying more. This was a political cop out (no pun intended)
The economics of 2025/2026 are much different. We’re now facing down the cost of a new Lindsay Police Headquarters. Cost of living is is a difficult spot for nearly everyone. Job losses are in the news every day. Every dollar matters.
The question of who provides police services in Lindsay and Ops should be put to taxpayers as a ballot questions on the 2026 Municipal Election. Let the people decide, and lets upload to the Province when we can.
Has The City of Kawartha Lakes Council had discussions, or are they considering a Property Tax Deferral Program as part of its current budget deliberations? Seniors on a fixed income are having a tough time as it is.