Not the full picture. Built from public records, which leave things out.Read by hand, Oct 2026Details

This is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date. Check the sources, and tell us if you spot a mistake. What this site can't tell you
Read by hand. We read Kawartha Lakes's own documents for this site in October 2026; the Sources page lists which ones. The comparisons with other places still come from the Province's yearly reports.

The money · 2025

How Kawartha Lakes' money works

A city is a bit like a household. Money comes in (mostly taxes and grants), and money goes out to pay for services like roads, fire trucks and the arena. Here is what that looked like in 2025, the latest year the city has reported to the Province.

Why 2025 and not this year? A budget is a plan. These figures are what actually happened, checked by an auditor and reported to Ontario.

Money in: $359M

Where the city's money came from in 2025.

44%

34%

14%

Property taxes$157M44%
Grants for specific projects$120M34%
Fees people pay$49.9M14%
Other$11.2M3%
Everything else$18.1M5%

Show as a table

Category	Amount	Share
Property taxes	$157,229,746	44.2%
Grants for specific projects	$119,565,866	33.6%
Fees people pay	$49,930,199	14.0%
Other	$11,244,100	3.2%
Everything else	$18,082,715	5.1%
Total	$356,052,626	100%

What each source means

Property taxes: What home and business owners pay each year, based on what their property is worth.
Grants for specific projects: Money from Ontario or Canada that must be spent on a certain thing, often a road or building.
Fees people pay: Water and sewer bills, dump fees, arena rentals, permits and similar charges.
Other: Interest earned, donations, sales of land and equipment.

Money out: $315M on services

Day-to-day spending in 2025, by service. On top of this, the city recorded $31.7M of "wear and tear" on things it owns. That is an accounting cost, not cash out the door, so it is left out here.

12%

23%

17%

20%

Running the city office$36.5M12%
Police, fire and safety$70.9M23%
Roads and snow$52.9M17%
Water, sewers and garbage$27M9%
Health$19.8M6%
Social services$63.2M20%
Housing$19.5M6%
Parks, arena and library$19.4M6%
Planning and business$5.7M2%

Show as a table

Category	Amount	Share
Running the city office	$36,522,363	11.6%
Police, fire and safety	$70,936,550	22.5%
Roads and snow	$52,919,527	16.8%
Water, sewers and garbage	$26,993,714	8.6%
Health	$19,845,353	6.3%
Social services	$63,237,775	20.1%
Housing	$19,498,472	6.2%
Parks, arena and library	$19,449,625	6.2%
Planning and business	$5,679,335	1.8%
Total	$315,082,714	100%

Police, fire and safety

$70.9M

Paying for police, the fire department, building inspectors and by-law officers.

+131% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Emergency planning$27.8M
Getting ready for floods, storms and other emergencies.
Police (OPP contract)$21.9M+25%
What the city pays for policing.
Fire department$11.9M+72%
Firefighters, trucks and fire halls.
Building permits$2.8M+76%
Checking that new buildings are safe.
Traffic court$2.0M+52%
Handling tickets and fines.
By-law and animal control$1.9M+87%
Enforcing city rules, like noise, parking and dogs.
Conservation authority$1.7M+8%
A regional group that manages rivers, flooding and wetlands.
Court security$1.0M+37%
Security at the courthouse.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Emergency planning	$27,768,543	–
Police (OPP contract)	$21,913,532	+24.6%
Fire department	$11,942,755	+71.7%
Building permits	$2,816,516	+75.9%
Traffic court	$1,962,905	+52.3%
By-law and animal control	$1,860,220	+86.6%
Conservation authority	$1,655,601	+7.9%
Court security	$1,016,478	+37.0%

Social services

$63.2M

Help for people and families who need it, and child care.

+43% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Seniors$23.2M+72%
Long-term care and seniors programs.
Income support$21M−1%
Help for people with very low income.
Child care$18.8M+100%
Daycare and early learning.
Other social$194K
Other social services.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Seniors	$23,227,636	+72.4%
Income support	$21,019,061	−1.0%
Child care	$18,797,334	+100.0%
Other social	$193,744	–

Roads and snow

$52.9M

Fixing and paving roads, bridges and culverts, ploughing snow, and street lights.

+77% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Paved roads$18.6M+53%
Fixing and repaving paved roads.
Snow ploughing$9.9M+112%
Ploughing, salting and sanding roads in winter.
Other transportation$9.6M+62%
Other transportation costs.
Gravel roads$8.2M+45%
Grading and fixing gravel roads.
Bridges and culverts$1.9M
Keeping bridges and the pipes under roads safe.
Public transit$1.7M+169%
Buses.
Street lights$1.0M+489%
Power and repairs for street lights.
Sidewalk snow$943K
Clearing sidewalks and parking lots.
Airport$597K+71%
A local airport or airstrip.
Accessible transit$348K+33%
Rides for people who cannot use regular buses.
Parking$83,785+122%
City parking lots and meters.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Paved roads	$18,618,018	+53.0%
Snow ploughing	$9,932,313	+111.5%
Other transportation	$9,554,721	+61.7%
Gravel roads	$8,242,901	+45.3%
Bridges and culverts	$1,861,300	–
Public transit	$1,720,028	+168.6%
Street lights	$1,018,858	+489.3%
Sidewalk snow	$942,574	–
Airport	$597,037	+70.9%
Accessible transit	$347,992	+32.7%
Parking	$83,785	+122.3%

Running the city office

$36.5M

Council, managers, the clerk, accounting, computers, insurance and the city hall itself. Every city needs some of this, but it does not fix a road or put out a fire.

+165% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Senior management$20.2M+44%
The top managers who run the city day to day.
Office and administration$13.4M
Office staff, finance, IT, insurance, legal and the city hall. Places share this cost out across other services.
Council$2.9M+79%
Pay and expenses for the mayor and councillors, and council meetings.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Senior management	$20,209,702	+43.7%
Office and administration	$13,416,319	–
Council	$2,896,342	+79.2%

Water, sewers and garbage

$27M

Clean tap water, the sewer system, garbage pickup, the dump and recycling.

+31% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Sewage treatment$5.8M+17%
Cleaning sewage before it goes back into nature (Tweed uses lagoons).
Water treatment$5.2M−36%
Making lake or well water safe to drink.
The dump (landfill)$5.2M+82%
Running the landfill, and saving up to close it safely one day.
Water pipes$3.9M
The pipes that bring water to homes.
Garbage pickup$3.6M−18%
Trucks that collect garbage.
Sewer pipes$1.7M
The pipes that carry sewage away from homes.
Recycling$1.7M+443%
Recycling and composting.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Sewage treatment	$5,753,941	+17.2%
Water treatment	$5,163,106	−36.2%
The dump (landfill)	$5,150,874	+82.2%
Water pipes	$3,894,975	–
Garbage pickup	$3,638,090	−17.7%
Sewer pipes	$1,718,710	–
Recycling	$1,674,018	+443.3%

Health

$19.8M

Public health, ambulances and cemeteries.

+63% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Ambulance$16.3M+67%
Paramedics and ambulances.
Public health$2.9M+41%
Health inspections and programs.
Cemeteries$560K+80%
Looking after city cemeteries.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Ambulance	$16,344,239	+66.5%
Public health	$2,941,093	+41.2%
Cemeteries	$560,021	+80.1%

Housing

$19.5M

Affordable and social housing.

+69% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Public housing$19.5M+82%
Homes owned by government.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Public housing	$19,498,472	+81.7%

Parks, arena and library

$19.4M

Parks, the arena, the pool, sports fields, programs and the library.

+56% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Programs$10.9M+1,000%
Classes, camps and activities.
Parks$5.0M+25%
Parks, beaches, trails and green spaces.
Library$3.0M+39%
The public library.
Arts and culture$598K
Festivals, arts and heritage.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Programs	$10,893,998	+999.7%
Parks	$5,004,948	+25.0%
Library	$2,952,898	+38.6%
Arts and culture	$597,781	–

Planning and business

$5.7M

Deciding what can be built where, and trying to bring businesses and visitors to city.

+38% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Planning and zoning$3.8M+11%
Deciding what can be built where.
Business and tourism$1.7M+293%
Attracting businesses and visitors, and helping local shops.
Other planning$138K+59%
Other planning costs.
Farm drainage loans$20,261
Loans to farmers for field drainage.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Planning and zoning	$3,795,690	+11.2%
Business and tourism	$1,725,445	+292.6%
Other planning	$137,939	+58.8%
Farm drainage loans	$20,261	–

What the money bought

The same 2025 spending, sorted by what it paid for rather than which service.

Staff pay and benefits$121M
Wages, benefits and pensions for city workers.
Outside companies$79.6M
Work the city pays other companies to do, like policing, paving or consultants.
Money given to others$59M
Grants and payments to other groups, like the conservation authority.
Supplies and utilities$42.6M
Gravel, salt, fuel, electricity, heating, office supplies and repairs.
Rent and money costs$8.5M
Renting equipment or space, bank fees, and some accounting costs.
Interest on loans$4.0M
The extra money paid to lenders for money the city borrowed.

Show as a table

Item	Amount
Staff pay and benefits	$121,482,140
Outside companies	$79,560,323
Money given to others	$58,992,632
Supplies and utilities	$42,629,448
Rent and money costs	$8,457,843
Interest on loans	$3,960,328

Staff

People on the city's payroll at the end of each year, as reported to the Province.

Year	Full-time	Part-time	Seasonal
2019	721	531.96	45.98
2020	731	532.86	47.16
2021	758	551	21
2022	743	667	23
2023	796	563	21
2024	749	625	18
2025	765	631	22

How things have changed since 2019

Money in compared with day-to-day spending, each year. When the orange line is above the blue one, the city spent more than it took in and made up the difference from savings or loans. Grants for big projects arrive in some years and not others, which makes "money in" jump around.

$359M

Show as a table

Year	Money in	Day-to-day spending
2019	$234M	$179M
2020	$253M	$197M
2021	$256M	$202M
2022	$277M	$232M
2023	$301M	$239M
2024	$322M	$258M
2025	$359M	$315M

City property tax

Up 37% since 2019. Prices rose 21%.

$157M

Show as a table

Year	City property tax
2019	$115M
2020	$119M
2021	$122M
2022	$131M
2023	$138M
2024	$147M
2025	$157M

Savings (reserves)

Money set aside for repairs, equipment and emergencies.

$27.9M

Show as a table

Year	Savings
2019	$33.6M
2020	$47.4M
2021	$54.8M
2022	$50.6M
2023	$48.3M
2024	$56.3M
2025	$27.9M

What the city owes

Long-term loans plus short-term (temporary) loans at year end.

$161M

Show as a table

Year	Long-term loans	Temporary loans
2019	$121M	$0
2020	$136M	$0
2021	$134M	$0
2022	$120M	$0
2023	$122M	$0
2024	$108M	$0
2025	$161M	$15.1M

Building new things

Spending on new or rebuilt roads, pipes, buildings and equipment, compared with how fast existing ones wear out.

$60M

Show as a table

Year	Built or bought	Wore out (amortization)
2019	$27.5M	$26.2M
2020	$39.8M	$26.4M
2021	$37.8M	$27.4M
2022	$55.2M	$30.1M
2023	$63.3M	$31.5M
2024	$77.3M	$33M
2025	$60M	$31.7M

Source: Ontario Financial Information Return (FIR), Schedules 10, 40, 51, 60, 70, 74 and 80 (archived copy). Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Retrieved 2026-10-01. Figures are what the municipality reported to the Province for each year, prepared on the same basis as its audited financial statements.