Lanark County Council Highlights – November 26, 2025

Press Release – Lanark County 

Here are the highlights from the Lanark County Council meeting held November 26, 2025.  

Community Grants Awarded and Policy Updated

Lanark County Council has approved Community Grant funding allocations for 2026 and set the focus areas for 2027 as tourism/economic development and community building. 

The community grants program distributes county funds to support non-profit agencies and organizations that serve Lanark County.

At the community services committee meeting last month, Deputy Clerk Megan Beson explained grants are awarded to local projects hat have a direct impact on people or an indirect impact by increasing capacity of organizations to initiate and sustain local projects. 

The focus areas for 2026 are tourism/economic development and equity/diversity and inclusion. The selection committee is made up of county council members and staff. Total funding requests for eligible projects or programs were $212,354, with $54,000 available to be awarded. Ten organizations were selected to receive funding. A number of other organizations were previously approved for multi-year funding during this term of council.

Council also passed a by-law approving changes to the community grants policy around multi-year funding and to update eligibility criteria to include:

• Municipalities are ineligible.
• Salaries and benefits are ineligible unless they apply to a start-up program or project, for which a maximum of 50 per cent of the total budget may be applied.

“These changes will ensure there is sufficient annual funding, that funding has a maximum benefit to the community and that the organization has capacity and ability to complete the project,” Beson said.

For more information, contact Megan Beson, Deputy Clerk, at 1-888-9-LANARK, ext. 1102.

Capacity Increases Recommended for Paramedics

Lanark County Council has approved several recommendations as part of follow-up to the “Ten-Year Paramedic Human Resources and Facilities Master Plan” that was presented in October by Operational Research in Health (ORH). 

At the corporate services committee meeting earlier this month, CAO Kurt Greaves noted the population growth and aging population call volume is estimated to increase 4 per cent per year.

Greaves said the first nine months of data with the new Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS), which began locally in February, shows a substantial impact on the acuity assigned to calls, with decreases seen in the number of calls deemed to have the highest urgency. As well, 34 per cent of calls were for interfacility transfers and, of those, 52 per cent were low acuity.

Greaves said as the population increases and ages, calls will continue to increase if the status quo continues, and what is necessary is to find ways to reduce low acuity calls. This can include clinicians at dispatch using a “hear and treat” model, using a “see and treat” model for paramedics that avoids hospital, finding more alternatives for treatment (e.g., walk-in clinics, virtual triage and increased pharmacist capacity) and finding patient transfer solutions that don’t tie up ambulances. 

Council approved:

• Adding an additional shift Monday to Sunday from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. in Carleton Place next year; pending 2026 budget approval;
• Adding an additional ambulance and supervisor in 2026 pending budget approval;
• Having staff explore operations, working with the province and other agencies, to reduce the number of low acuity calls and transfers through various potential programs; and
• Reviewing other report recommendations in 2026 based on updated data and analysis.

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

New Cross-Border Ambulance Agreement Approved

Lanark County Council has approved a by-law for a cross-border agreement with the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville (UCLG) that establishes rates charged per cross-border ambulance calls.

At the corporate services committee meeting earlier this month, Treasurer Kevin Wills explained the county and UCLG entered into a 10-year cross-border agreement that expires Dec. 31. Under that agreement, rates initially charged per call were $230 for Lanark and $209 for UCLG and were adjusted each year using Ontario’s annual Consumer Price Index increase.  Lanark responded to 1,407 cross-border calls in UCLG in 2024. Preliminary data with the new dispatch protocol in 2025 is showing a decrease in border call volume.

“This is a positive change, as it results in Lanark’s paramedic fleet being more available to serve residents,” Wills said.

The updated rate will be $348.65 for UCLG and $326.92 for Lanark. Cross-border revenues are 50 per cent shared with the province as the ministry funds half of ambulance costs. Revenue in 2024 for Lanark County was $405,920, and call volumes are estimated to be 20 per cent less than 2024 in 2026 due to the new dispatch system.

For more information, contact Kevin Wills, Treasurer, at 1-888-9-LANARK, ext. 1323.

Report on Reserve Funds Received

Lanark County Council received a report providing background on the use of county reserves as a fiscal management tool.

At the corporate services committee meeting earlier this month, CAO Kurt Greaves explained there is no fixed amount of money Ontario municipalities are legally required to hold in reserves under the Municipal Act, but maintaining sufficient reserves supports long-term financial sustainability to help manage growth, infrastructure renewal and replacement, risk management and contingency planning, and stable tax rates and service delivery.

Greaves said strong growth in the county over the last 10 years has helped to increase the reserve balance and annual surpluses are attributable to real assessment growth from new construction and additions.

“It is important to note that growth has a real cost that is often a future cost. As the population increases, more traffic lanes are needed and more requirements for emergency services, affordable housing, childcare, etc. will eventually be needed to accommodate growth.”

Greaves explained reserves can replace current assets and be drawn from to pay for future infrastructure investments to accommodate growth. Investment income from strong reserves can be used as a revenue source to help to offset the annual levy. Reserves can be used to pay for unforeseen expenditures or cover potential deficits. 

Transfers to reserves recognize the need to put funds aside for future capital replacement or to fund one-off or large capital projects.

“This is an important tool for keeping the levy increases on a smooth trajectory,” Greaves said.

Adding interest income to the reserve balance helps to ensure the reserves keep up with inflation as costs of replacing capital assets increase. He noted the current replacement cost for county assets is $517 million, which includes roads, bridges and culverts; buildings and facilities; fleet and equipment; stormwater systems and other assets. This requires an overall annual investment of $14 million in replacement or rehabilitation. Compared to other Eastern Ontario upper-tier municipalities, total reserves for Lanark are 25 per cent higher than average, the total debt is below average and the residential tax rate is the median.

Greaves added that with anticipated future growth, having adequate reserves and development charges can help manage challenges of dealing with growth rather than relying on tax increases.

“In order to be prudent, reserve balances should be allowed to grow as long as the tax rate is not excessive,” he said.

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

Upcoming Meetings

• County Council, Wednesday, December 3, 5 p.m.
• Community Services, December 3 (following County Council)
• Corporate Services, December 3 (following Community Services)
• County Council, Wednesday, December 10, 5 p.m.
• Public Works, December 10 (following County Council)
• Economic Development, December 10 (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.