Finished projects return hundreds of thousands to Scugog reserves

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard

SCUGOG: A regular review of the Township of Scugog’s capital program has resulted in more than $830,000 being returned to municipal reserves, after council approved the closure of several completed or discontinued projects.

Council received the third Capital Account Closing Report of 2025, at a recent meeting, following a presentation from, Director of Finance and Treasurer, Laura Barta. The report recommended the closure of 17 capital projects, freeing a total of $838,632.59 in funding, with $832,307.59 returning to various reserve and reserve funds.

“This process ensures funding isn’t tied up in projects which are finished or no longer moving forward,” Ms. Barta told council. “Once all invoices, grant funding, and outside contributions are finalized, we’re able to close those accounts and make the remaining funds available for future capital needs.”

Ms. Barta explained that capital projects often remain open, even after construction or purchases are complete, as final invoicing can lag for weeks or months, warranties may still be active, or grant reporting requirements may still need to be fulfilled. Projects involving outside partners, such as the Region of Durham or conservation authorities, can also take additional time to close.

In addition to completed projects, the report included projects which were discontinued, due to changes which were not evident when the original budget was approved. Any unused funding from those projects is returned to reserves, without preventing the projects from being reconsidered in future budgets.

Four projects required additional funding, totalling $54,665.17, which council approved through transfers from reserve and reserve funds.

During the discussion, Regional Councillor, Ian McDougall asked staff to clarify several of the budget overruns. Director of Public Works and Recreation, Grant Taylor addressed those questions, noting, the replacement of an ice resurfacer exceeded its original budget, by just over $20,700, due to the addition of a precision laser-leveling upgrade.

“That upgrade improves ice safety, performance and overall risk management,” Mr. Taylor said, adding, the enhancement will benefit arena operations over the long term.

Mr. Taylor also pointed to higher-than-anticipated costs for a new hotbox patcher which came in nearly $8,000 over budget, as a result of tariff-related price increases. Gravel Roads Resurfacing

for 2025 exceeded its approved budget, by approximately $24,000, after slightly more material was required to meet project specifications.

A smaller overage, of just over $2,000, was reported for projects resulting from the township’s IT strategy, due to a minor scope addition.

As of November 30th, total spending on the closed projects was approximately $2.07 million, compared to an approved budget of $2.91 million. After accounting for the approved funding transfers, council confirmed more than $830,000 has been returned to reserves for future capital projects.

Council approved all recommendations in the report, formally closing the listed projects and authorizing the release of uncommitted funds, which staff say will help ensure flexibility as new infrastructure priorities arise.