Kawartha Lakes receives funding to offset policing costs amid budget challenges

DARRYL KNIGHT The Standard

KAWARTHA LAKES: City staff and councillors have been busy for several months crafting the 2025 municipal budget and were recently given good news in the form of increased provincial funding for local police costs.

At a Special Council meeting on Thursday, December 5th, Sara Beukeboom, Director of Corporate Services for Kawartha Lakes, announced significant financial relief from the province. A grant of $1.4 million has been provided to help offset the increasing costs of Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) services in the municipality.

Kawartha Lakes is unique in its dual-policing structure. Residents in Lindsay and Ops are served by Kawartha Lakes Police Services (KLPS), while those in the rest of the municipality rely on the OPP. For the 2025 fiscal year, the combined cost of these services is projected at $21.7 million, marking a $3.3 million increase over 2024.

In November, Council deliberated and adopted a 2025 budget featuring a city-wide average tax increase of 2.2 percent. However, this did not fully account for the rising expenses tied to policing.

To address the shortfall, Council accepted a staff recommendation to allocate $1,181,410 of the provincial funding to reduce the OPP Area Rate costs directly. The remaining $400,000 will be deposited into the OPP Area Rate stabilization reserve, ensuring some financial cushion for future years.

While the relief offers some breathing room, Beukeboom cautioned it may not be available again in 2026. “This funding is a welcome reprieve, but we must remain mindful of the long-term sustainability of our policing budgets,” she said.

The adjustments leave residents facing an amended 2025 total tax increase of 6.2 percent. For many in the community, this is still a hard pill to swallow.

“I’m glad the province stepped up this year, but it feels like a Band-Aid solution,” said Beth Rogers, a Woodville resident. “What happens if the relief funding disappears next year? We need a plan which works long-term.”

Others expressed concern about the growing costs. “Policing is essential, but $21.7 million is a lot of money,” said Mark Caldwell, a farmer from Oakwood. “We need better transparency about where that money is going and how it’s being spent.”

Mayor Doug Elmslie acknowledged these concerns while highlighting the challenges. “Policing is one of our largest expenses, and it’s critical for community safety. The provincial funding helps mitigate some of the burden this year, but we’ll continue working with staff and residents to address these pressures moving forward,” he said.