As seven candidates compete to become Peterborough’s next mayor in the municipal election on October 26, kawarthaNOW is asking the contenders to outline their plans for the economy, housing, taxes, and leadership at city hall.
With incumbent mayor Jeff Leal not running for re-election, the seven certified mayoral candidates are Michael Eamon, Rob Hailman, Brian Lumsden, Jacob Méthot, Neil Morton, incumbent Ashburnham Ward councillor Keith Riel, and Rebecca Schillemat.
Having conducted in-depth interviews with all seven mayoral candidates to introduce their campaigns, kawarthaNOW has asked the candidates to go on the record about the most pressing election issues.
In municipalities that were assigned strong mayor powers by the Ontario government, including Peterborough in 2023, the mayor is responsible for presenting a budget to council and the public by February 1. In some municipalities with strong mayor powers, such as the City of Kawartha Lakes, the mayor has directed staff to develop the proposed budget and has then presented the budget to council for consideration and possible amendments. In Peterborough, the mayor has worked with staff and council throughout the process of developing the budget before presenting the final proposed budget.
In either case, the mayor is ultimately responsible for the budget, including determining how much revenue is collected through taxes and how much money is spent on city services such as public transit and city infrastructure such as roads.
On the topic of taxes and city services, kawarthaNOW asked Peterborough’s seven mayoral candidates three questions: “What annual property tax increase would you aim for, and what specific spending change, efficiency, new revenue. or service reduction would help you meet that target?”, “Which city service should receive more funding, and which service would you reduce, redesign, or defer? Explain the trade-off” and “What should be Peterborough’s top transportation or infrastructure priority, and how would you pay for it?”
kawarthaNOW is publishing the responses from the candidates verbatim.
What annual property-tax increase would you aim for, and what specific spending change, efficiency, new revenue, or service reduction would help you meet that target?
Michael Eamon
If the recommended 6.62 per cent increase is adopted for 2027, it will mean that taxes will have risen more than 30% in four years. This is over 3 times the Consumer Price Index for the same period and much more than our comparator communities.
Currently, the City’s first Efficiency Review is underway. This $350,000 report cannot be ignored. Using it, and working closely with the CAO, bureaucratic redundancies will be found and removed. Unnecessary approval processes and unclear reporting structures will be eliminated. City staff will be empowered to work more effectively. All routine expenses will be reviewed. Efficiency does not mean cutting services. It means offering those services more effectively and reducing costly delays.
In addition, the mayor and council need to set a budget cap at the beginning of each year. This would take into account any scheduled or fixed increases such as salary. Staff would then be asked to work within the cap, highlighting priorities that need the most attention.
Bringing the tax rate closer to the actual inflation rate is the goal. Admittedly, this will be no easy feat. Over the next four years, inflation is forecasted to be approximately two per cent a year. It is unreasonable, and potentially financially devastating to expect future tax increases to be below inflation. What the City must do is to clearly demonstrate to the public where their taxes are being spent and offer the highest level of accountability and transparency for that spending.
Rob Hailman
It would be unrealistic or irresponsible to commit to a specific number, as much of the tax increase is determined by factors outside of the city’s control, such as fuel costs, or staffing costs that are governed by collective agreements.
People are rightly upset about the tax increases in recent years. In addition to the tax rate itself, this is because increases have been unpredictable, with little to show for them. As mayor, I will work to restore proper council oversight of the city’s budget, returning to three budget books from one and working with council to set meaningful priorities in our direction to staff, not merely throwing a target number over the wall.
Brian Lumsden
I believe that the property owners in Peterborough have suffered way too much from increased taxes. To start with, I will fight to freeze any additional increases until we get spending under control. I have no issues with asking every department for increased efficiency. All of us must do our part; I will start by example and reduce the Mayor’s salary by 10%.
Jacob Méthot
It’s easy to say that property tax can be capped at inflation, but that is simply unfortunately not realistic. If that was possible, it would be done! As the easiest way for anyone to win re-election would be to say that taxes were not raised at all.
The reality is that core services would be gutted as well as the city’s ability to maintain any semblance of a Peterborough as we know it now. As many people know, all costs do not only raise by inflation but also because of outside pressures and additional demands. I would aim for a more gradual property-tax increase instead of ones that are choking residents financially.
A full, clearly defined audit that is easily presentable to citizens is needed. Beyond that, an independent review of inefficiencies within the government is also required. A significant amount of budgetary expenses comes from administration, if that is really required is unknown until fully investigated.
Efficiency within Council is also required. Councillors could potentially better serve the community if there were five full-time councillors instead of ten councillors, some of whom currently have a “day job.” With the increased time requirement, this would mean paying councillors more but expecting and receiving a higher level of commitment and quality of work.
Neil Morton
Recognizing that the 2027 budget process will be well underway, I will make the 2028 budget the first budget to keep annual tax increases at or below the rate of inflation. We will do this by a) increasing our assessment base by attracting new businesses (big, medium and small) and homeowners to the area beyond the normal annual growth rate; align user fees to better reflect cost of delivering services; implement appropriate recommendations on how to deliver services more efficiently; and advocating for more revenue we receive from senior levels of governments. Although many of these are statutory amounts, there is a significant opportunity to receive additional discretionary grants. I believe we can do better in attracting federal and provincial investments.
Keith Riel
An honest mayoral candidate cannot promise a fixed property-tax increase four years in advance.
We don’t know what fuel, construction, insurance, wages or contracted services will cost. We also don’t know what infrastructure may fail, what outside agencies will require or what funding other governments will provide.
Almost any target can be reached temporarily by deferring road work, draining reserves or cutting services but the bill doesn’t disappear. It comes back later, usually much larger.
My goal is to keep taxes as low as reasonably possible while protecting the services and infrastructure residents rely on. I’ll introduce a rolling four-year financial forecast, require the full cost and tax impact of major initiatives before approval, and stop using one-time money to disguise ongoing expenses.
My promise isn’t an invented percentage, it’s that taxpayers will see the numbers, understand the trade-offs and hear the truth.
Rebecca Schillemat
As mayor I will work towards delivering value for every tax dollar by prioritizing financial sustainability and operational efficiency. The focus will be on improving efficiencies not reducing services. Annual service reviews will eliminate duplication, streamline internal operations, and ensure municipal spending remains responsible without unnecessarily cutting core community services.
Increasing the tax base with new housing and employment and industrial buildings will increase revenues. Creating programs to encourage building on existing serviced vacant lands will produce a 500-fold increase to property tax revenues per lot.
Which city service should receive more funding, and which service would you reduce, redesign, or defer? Explain the trade-off.
Michael Eamon
Housing — particularly for domestic violence victims and youth — must be made a priority. I would like to have a review done immediately of the entire shelter, housing and treatment system (looking at both city-funded and self-funded organizations). This will be essential in making informed decisions about where future funding must be directed. Municipalities, non-profits and private interests often fail when working together. This is because they lack shared definitions of the core services they are providing, common goals and agreement on what success looks like. This cannot continue here. Central co-ordination with the city is key to ensure that a shared vision with agreed upon benchmarks exists as well as transparent public reporting. Central co-ordination helps to identify any redundant service delivery and can free up funds to be allocated to new, or more effective solutions.
Rob Hailman
My top priority for a service to receive more funding is transit. For the money we spend, we have a very good public transit system in Peterborough, and with improved frequency and adjusted routes it could be truly excellent for a city our size. However, successive councils have had, at best, a half-hearted commitment to making this a reality.
To fund this, and many other things, we must bring the police budget under control. I recognize that provincial legislation means that the city can not do this unilaterally, but we must push back on unrealistic funding demands, up to and including arbitration if necessary.
Brian Lumsden
No trade off! Every department would be treated the same; however, some departments are bleeding cash much more than others. For example, the police budget.
Jacob Méthot
Public Transit needs more funding and better design, the natural effect of this is a reduction in repair costs to our roads due to the decreased stress placed upon them. I don’t see this as a trade-off; the City is better off when more residents have access to effective public transit.
Neil Morton
My goal will be to deliver services more efficiently and to ensure the public full value for their tax dollars. I will balance the need to keep taxes affordable with the need to provide services people require and prioritize. I would work with council and staff, with input from the public, to implement appropriate recommendations from the effectiveness and efficiency review (which is being undertaken by Ernst & Young) to determine where the best value is for taxpayers. I will also use revenue generated from new property assessment growth to invest in new programs and services that residents want, helping improve City services without increasing the tax burden on existing taxpayers.
Keith Riel
My priority is the infrastructure and services people use every day, particularly roads and public spaces.
I won’t promise to cut a frontline service before seeing the budget, service data and pressures the next Council inherits. But I will defer major discretionary spending when the case hasn’t been made.
The proposed arena is the clearest example. I support replacing the Memorial Centre, but not through major taxpayer-backed borrowing without a public business case, real outside investment, a credible operating forecast and an affordable financing plan.
If the choice is between maintaining essential services and rushing an unready major project, I’ll choose people and basic services every time.
Rebecca Schillemat
I support a results-driven approach to city services and budgeting. By establishing clear performance metrics and evaluating service outcomes. As mayor I will make evidence-based funding decisions that prioritize community needs while ensuring fiscal responsibility.
City Hall must reflect the residents it serves. I am committed to open communication, active collaboration, and gathering regular feedback from both staff and community members to ensure municipal decisions remain transparent and responsive.
What should be Peterborough’s top transportation or infrastructure priority, and how would you pay for it?
Michael Eamon
Chronic underfunding of municipalities across the country has led to what is now being called Canada’s “infrastructure deficit.” Peterborough is not immune to this nation-wide crisis and cannot currently raise enough money to match the decay of infrastructure. The city’s Asset Management Plan identifies approximately $800,000 million of assets in poor condition and at high risk of failure. This includes our main wastewater sewer and various roads. We need to create a targeted plan for the next four years to address infrastructure at high risk assessing both the likelihood of failure with the consequences of failure.
Paying for it will be complicated. The current council has already approved new user fees and an infrastructure levy that are added to taxes. The burden of additional taxes is making life in Peterborough less affordable and less attractive for newcomers and businesses. We will need to investigate new, fair user fees as well as more ways to bundle projects and project money to stretch out the funding. We need to redouble our efforts to secure both federal and provincial infrastructure grants. Though normally not the subject of corporate sponsorship, we need to find creative ways to “sponsor” new infrastructure. Finally, to reduce the infrastructure deficit for the future we need to create municipal discretionary reserve funds, for the future repair and upkeep of specific buildings and types of critical infrastructure.
Rob Hailman
The most important infrastructure project must be public housing. I will continue the work of advocating for funding from higher levels of government to make these projects a reality, but we cannot allow every single development to wait until that funding manifests itself. The $57 million precommitment to a downtown sport and event centre, for example, could be reallocated to complete the Hilliard St redevelopment that has been stalled for years.
Brian Lumsden
I would require specific details for this question. There are a number of projects already underway and priorities need to be set. Transportation is important for the growth of the city.
Jacob Méthot
Peterborough’s top transportation priority should be better bus-route design that can serve more people. This can, in part, be paid for by defending and assisting drivers with fare enforcement via municipal enforcement officers on the bus when needed as well as more regular by law enforcement of apartment buildings and homes that fail to meet the standards of Peterborough.
Better route design will also pay for itself with more ridership, and less stress on the aging roads that desperately need repair. It will allow workers to do the job right fully and right the first time. The number of potholes, bumps, and cracks in our roads is embarrassing.
Neil Morton
We need to allocate and re-allocate capital and operating spending to fix the things that need fixing and not put them off. This includes the roads and potholes. I’ve heard from constituents that we need to make this a priority. This will instill confidence in the community — and tourists and those considering moving here — that we are not being complacent and take pride in our infrastructure and “curb appeal”. As well, I believe the prosperity of a community is reflected partly by the condition of its roads — so by driving up our assessment base through attracting new business and homeowners, we’ll have more money to spend on all the things.
I’ve also heard while canvassing thousands of doors and riding the bus that we need to modernize and invest in our transit system so that it better serves seniors, students and the general public with frequency, stops and bus shelters at transfer points. We need more people taking the bus with their amazing drivers — and less cars on the roads. It’s good for community wellness and good for the environment.
Keith Riel
Our immediate infrastructure priority should be our roads.
In my first year, the City will publish a resurfacing list with an early project in every ward. We’ll also select one long-deferred major corridor, place it on a funded four-year reconstruction schedule and begin the work during my term.
When reconstruction remains years away, staff should determine whether interim resurfacing makes financial sense. If it does, we should do it.
We’ll pay through disciplined capital planning, available provincial and federal funding, and financing that fits within the City’s debt and tax capacity. I won’t announce projects without explaining how we’ll pay for them.
Rebecca Schillemat
My top priorities are housing and jobs. We need a reliable transit network and infrastructure from roads to pipes in the ground to support growth.
As Mayor I will support public transit by listening to our professional bus drivers and passengers to optimize route efficiency and improve reliability. Many transit riders are seniors thus, supporting healthcare access and improving accessibility at transit stops is important. As Mayor I will start by adding garbage cans and benches to bus stops then plan for improvements including green roof bus shelters with benches. To support employment I will make improvements to the transit schedules to accommodate workers and links to smaller communities. To support students I will work with student unions and school boards to ensure public transit is reliable enough to be the first choice for all students in Peterborough.
Infrastructure investments will focus on long-term asset management, water/wastewater upgrades, and road repairs prioritized by physical condition and need rather than temporary fixes. We will leverage senior government capital grants and development contributions to fund major corridor revitalizations. A public dashboard similar to the snow removal map, will be added to the City’s website to improve transparency on the status of road repairs and provide residents with the opportunity to submit their comments and suggestions.
kawarthaNOW has reproduced written responses from candidates verbatim, without editing for grammar or format. Any errors, factual or otherwise, or any use of AI-generated content originate with the candidate.
