Provincial relief for OPP costs bring Kawartha Lakes tax increase to 6.2%

At a Special Council meeting on December 5, 2024, Sara Beukeboom, director of corporate services, notified Council that the province has provided the municipality with relief funding of $1.4 million to offset OPP requirements.

Kawartha Lakes has two police services: residents in Lindsay and Ops pay for Kawartha Lakes Police Services and all other residents pay for OPP services. Combined city-wide policing costs in the 2025 budget are $21.7 million, an increase of $3.3 million over 2024.

In November, Council deliberated the 2025 Budget and adopted an average increase of 2.2% for a combined city-wide increase in policing costs.

Council adopted the staff recommendation to use the relief funding to offset the OPP area rate costs by $1,181,410 and return $400,000 to the OPP area rate stabilization reserve for future years. The relief may not be available from the province in 2026.

The Amended 2025 Total Tax Increase of is 6.2% (reduced from 6.7%):

• 3% City Operations
• 1.7% City wide average Policing
• 1.5% Dedicated Infrastructure levy
• Visit the Jump In Budget Page for more background on the 2025 budget, explainer videos, Q and A and more.Read budget releases:
• Kawartha Lakes deliberates 2025 budget to address community safety while preparing for growth
• Kawartha Lakes proposes largest capital budget to date to respond to growth
• Watch the budget video series