Trent Lakes Council approved a tax rate increase of 3.84 per cent for the 2026 municipal budget at this week’s council meeting.
This increase means that the average homeowner in Trent Lakes will pay $84.50 more in property taxes in 2026 than they did in 2025.
This amount only covers Trent Lakes taxes and does not include amounts for education and for Peterborough County.
CAO/Treasurer Donna Teggart told council that items impacting this year’s budget include increased training certification requirements for emergency services, wage increases under a new CUPE contract, costs to replace equipment and rolling stock as well as police, insurance and legal cost increases.
This also includes the cost of dividing the current CAO/Treasurer position into two different positions when Teggart retires later this year.
Savings were achieved, she said, in continued digitization and process efficiencies, joint tendering with Peterborough county for road surface treatment, winter sand and salt, revenue from the new Blue Box recycling program and reduced budgets for consulting, planning software and mileage in the Building/Planning Department.
The average property owner in the municipality will pay $1,804.69. This breaks down to $168.60 for general government costs, $420.31 for other protection services, $655.82 for public works, $271.61 for fire and rescue services, $195.09 for parks, recreation, culture and heritage and $93.66 for capital programs.
Capital expenditures account for 42 per cent of the budget as a result of the cost for the new Fire Hall and Public Works building in Buckhorn which is partly being funded through the Canada Community Building Fund and from reserves.
Other capital expenditures include road reconstruction, facilities, land improvements, information technology, vehicles and equipment, the Lakehurst Hall Lower Bowl Project, the Cavendish Hall accessible washroom upgrade, replacement vehicles and new generators at Lakehurst and Galway Halls.
Twenty per cent of the budget covers Public Works which includes road maintenance, snowplowing, sanding and salting and waste management.
Other Protection Services include the OPP levy, by-law enforcement, community improvement planning, land use planning, the conservation levy and sewage permits/inspections account for 15 per cent of the budget.
Fire and Rescue Services get just over seven per cent of the budget which covers fire hall and equipment costs, vehicle costs, emergency planning and training.
Just over five per cent goes to Parks, Recreation, Culture and Heritage including Community Grants, community hall operating costs, recreation facilities/parks/beaches and the libraries.
The remaining 10 per cent covers general government costs such as administrative and council costs, financial services, economic development, human resources, medical centre costs and costs for the 2026 municipal election
