Lanark County Council Highlights – February 25, 2026

Press Release – Lanark County  

Here are the highlights from the Lanark County Council meeting held February 25, 2026.

2026 Taxation Policy and Tax Ratios Approved

Lanark County Council has passed a by-law to set the 2026 tax ratios for the various property classes. Council also approved a by-law establishing the 2026 tax rates to be levied to local municipalities.

At the Corporate Services Committee meeting earlier this month, CAO Kurt Greaves explained Council is responsible for determining two tax areas: the levy, which is established in the budget, and tax ratios, which distribute tax burden between property classes. He noted the ratios are the same as in the previous year as the province has kept property reassessment on hold again.

Greaves outlined the residential tax rates by municipality along with median single family home assessment values and the associated municipal taxes based on current value assessment being held at 2016 values. The median Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) assessment for a single-family detached home in Lanark County is $287,000. 

Council passed the 2026 budget in December with a levy of $47 million and a net tax increase of 2.4 per cent, which is collected through the towns and townships along with the education tax. The residential property class makes up 86 per cent of the taxes paid in Lanark County and has an assessed value of $9.5 billion. Total assessment of all classes is $10.7 billion.

For more information, contact Kurt Greaves, CAO, at 1-888-9-LANARK, ext. 1101.

New Mobile Team Operating in County

Lanark County Council received information about the Lanark Integrated Frontline Team (LIFT), which is a new mobile clinic offering health care, substance use support and social services.

At the Community Services Committee of the Whole meeting earlier this month, Tom McKenna, Manager of Mental Health Services with Lanark County Mental Health (LCMH), outlined the partnership with Lanark County Paramedic Service that began in December. Using a decommissioned ambulance, a team consisting of a social worker, paramedic and nurse practitioner can visit communities where people live and gather, such as encampments and community settings. 

McKenna outlined the need for the program and the effects of the opioid crisis in Lanark, Leeds and Grenville, noting in rural and remote areas there is not enough access to harm reduction services, particularly for individuals in high-risk environments, such as encampments, rent-geared-to-income housing and adult supportive housing. He presented statistics showing the impact of fentanyl and other substances in local overdoses, as well as average weekly emergency department visits related to drug toxicity and hospital admissions.

“Emergency department visits remain elevated year after year across 2018 to 2024. This is not a brief spike,” McKenna said.

In 2024, 27 local deaths were attributed to opioids, with most occurring in private residences and one in five occurring amongst those experiencing homelessness.

McKenna said the mobile clinic is not an emergency service – it aims to remove barriers to care, reduce strain on emergency health care services and enhance client health stability. In the initial two months of the program, the team completed 205 client visits for 38 people who use substances in high-risk settings, have co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders, and face social and economic barriers. 

The mobile clinic van location changes daily throughout Lanark and residents can access it without an appointment. A mobile schedule will be posted to www.liftlanark.ca once the website is launched. The team can be reached at 613-283-2170 (option 3) or info@liftlanark.ca. The program is funded through a Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addictions Program Emergency Treatment Fund grant received by Lanark County until March 31, 2027.

For more information, contact Emily Hollington, Director of Social Services, at 1-888-9-LANARK, ext. 1101.

Address Corrections on Highway 43 Coming

Lanark County Council has directed staff to proceed with corrections related to the naming for Highway 43 in Drummond/North Elmsley and Montague townships.

Highway 43 was a provincial highway stretching from Perth to Alexandria until it was downloaded to municipalities in 1998. In Lanark County it is a county road running through Drummond/North Elmsley and Montague townships, which have used the name “Highway 43” in traffic and road-naming by-laws and for 911 addressing. 

At the Corporate Services Committee meeting earlier this month, Clerk Jasmin Ralph explained that, over time, inconsistencies have arisen in how the road is referenced in for emergency dispatching and mailing addresses, including “County Road 43,” “County Road 43 West” and “Highway 43 West.” 

“These inconsistencies have led to confusion for residents and emergency services and have led to complaints from the public related to dispatching emergency services and issues with mail delivery,” Ralph said, adding some road numbering repetitions also exist for this highway with properties in the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville.

The County has proposed taking the lead on the corrective process for Highway 43 with help from the two affected townships. 

Ralph said affected residents will be notified prior to any corrections or changes, and that the County and local townships will work together to address any issues for property owners that may arise. The county will also work with Canada Post and emergency management officials to ensure the addresses are corrected.

“We will work with any affected owner to make sure they are not unduly impacted,” Ralph said. “We are confident we can work together to resolve this issue.”

The expected timeline of the corrections is in the summer of 2026, with notifications sent out in the spring. 

For more information, contact Jasmin Ralph, Clerk, at 1-888-9-LANARK, ext. 1502.

Upcoming Meetings

• County Council, Wednesday, March 11, 5 p.m.
• Community Services, March 11 (following County Council)
• Corporate Services, March 11 (following Community Services)
• County Council, Wednesday, March 25, 5 p.m.
• Public Works, March 25 (following County Council)
• Economic Development, March 25 (following Public Works)

Watch for details about public access to meetings on agendas and through online notifications. For more information, contact 1-888-9-LANARK, ext. 1502. Like “LanarkCounty1” on Facebook and follow “@LanarkCounty1” on Instagram.