With the nomination period for October’s municipal election having closed at 2 p.m. on Friday afternoon (August 21), Peterborough residents now know the final slate of candidates for the next city council.

Barring any additional updates that are not yet reflected in the list of uncertified candidates on the City of Peterborough’s website, there are a total of seven candidates for mayor and 28 for the 10 councillor positions — two in each of the city’s five wards.

Rob Hailman filed his nomination papers for mayor on Friday morning, joining six other candidates — Michael Eamon, Brian Lumsden, Jacob Méthot, Neil Morton, Keith Riel, and Rebecca Schillemat — who are vying to become Peterborough’s new head of city council.

After months of speculation about whether he would seek re-election, incumbent mayor Jeff Leal announced on Thursday morning that he will not be running for a second term, citing health-related issues and a desire to spend time with his family.

Hailman is the final candidate to join the mayor race. The director of operations for the non-profit Trent Radio who is also a business manager for Trent University’s student newspaper Arthur as well as a musician and broadcaster, Hailman is a community-based advocate who has served on the boards of local and national non-profits, including the Canadian Journalism Collective and Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre.

Hailman will be familiar to anyone who watches city council meetings, as he is a regular delegate and a frequent harsh critic of the existing council. Most recently, at a June 1 council meeting where councillors debated a winter shelter response plan, Hailman said “the majority of our council are wilful murderers and the remainder are collaborators” with reference to council’s approach to the issue of homelessness.

As for candidates for council, there are now five in Otonabee Ward (including the two incumbents), six in Monaghan Ward (including one incumbent), five in Town Ward (including the two incumbents), four in Ashburnham Ward (including one incumbent), and eight in Northcrest Ward (including one incumbent).

Newly registered candidates for Otonabee Ward are entrepreneur and former provincial Green Party candidate Lucas Graham along with Joe Laton-Trickett.

Otonabee Ward candidate Jessica Correa has withdrawn her nomination, after announcing her decision on social media on Wednesday, stating that a “concern regarding my candidacy was raised with my employer, triggering an additional and more formal review.”

“I was advised that continuing my candidacy was no longer considered compatible with my current professional responsibilities,” Correa added.

Correa is the second candidate in Otonabee Ward to withdraw. Shortly after filing her own nomination back in May, Noella Koshul withdrew her nomination and endorsed Correa.

Along with Graham and Laton-Trickett, the other Otonabee Ward candidates are incumbents Kevin Duguay and Lesley Parnell as well as Chris Potter.

In Monaghan Ward, local evangelist and pastor Aris Metaxakis entered the race last week, joining incumbent Matt Crowley along with Ashley Flynn, Rose Kitney, Jen Lacey, and AJ Shearer. As his name does not appear on the updated list of uncertified candidates as of Friday afternoon, it appears incumbent Don Vassiliadis has decided against running for re-election.

In Town Ward, Nigel Lister is the latest challenger to incumbents Alex Bierk and Joy Lachica, joining Jenni Cathcart and Jessica Kuhlmorgen-Hille. Previously a market development manager at Cambium Consulting & Engineering, Lister is president of the Peterborough and District Construction Association and vice-chair of the board of the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area.

There are no last-minute candidates for Ashburnham Ward, which has only a single incumbent councillor (Gary Baldwin) running for re-election as the other incumbent, Keith Riel, is running for mayor. Ashley Bonner, Andrew MacGregor, and Jason Stabler are the other candidates in the ward.

With Dennis Nephin joining the race in Northcrest, the ward now has eight candidates competing for the two councillor positions.

Incumbent Dave Haacke announced months ago he would not be seeking re-election, leaving his fellow incumbent Andrew Beamer to fight off seven challengers: Debbie Halstead, Phil Jolicoeur, Paul Lawton, Charmaine Magumbe, Gavin Muir, Jim Wasson, and now Nephin, who is best known for taking over Kawartha Ribfest when the Rotary Club of Peterborough Kawartha announced in December 2024 it would no longer be involved in the annual event.

The municipal election takes place on Monday, October 26.

The original version of this story has been updated to correct a misspelling of Dennis Nephin’s surname and to remove a reference to Rob Hailman as a contributor to Arthur. While he is a business manager for Arthur, he is not a regular contributor and does not have any editorial relationship with the publication.

Survivors of sexual assault and their supporters and allies will gather in downtown Peterborough in September for the 46th annual “Take Back the Night” event hosted by the Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre (KSAC).

“Take Back the Night is a global movement that started by talking about how women and gender-diverse folks around the world don’t feel safe walking alone at night,” said Jocelyn Enright, prevention education and community engagement coordinator at KSAC, in a recent interview with kawarthaNOW.

Take Back the Night 2026 will take place on Thursday, September 17 from 5 to 9 p.m. outside in the Peterborough Square Courtyard at the corner of Charlotte Street and Water Street.

A global movement with deep roots in Peterborough

“This year’s event theme is Our Voices, Our Strength, Our Community and serves as a reminder to uplift the voices of survivors, to remind survivors of the strength and control they have in their life, and that we are all stronger together as a community,” reads a media release.

KSAC is a local non-profit agency that provides various free supports for individuals aged over 16 of any gender. They host a 24/7 crisis support line, one-to-one counselling, group workshops, and participate in advocacy for survivors.

The oldest worldwide movement to stand against sexual violence, Take Back the Night began in the 1970s with a tribunal council meeting in Belgium attended by over 2,000 women representing more than 40 countries.

Early activists protested the lack of safety for women, including when walking down the street alone at night. One of the first Take Back the Night events was held in 1972, when a group of women at the University of Southern Florida donned witches’ brooms and black capes and marched through campus to demand resources and safety for women.

Peterborough’s first Take Back the Night event was hosted in 1980 by KSAC that, at the time, was a volunteer-led community group called Peterborough Rape Relief. Just two years earlier, the Vancouver Rape Relief organization has held the first Take Back the Night event in Canada.

Enright said that, nearly five decades later, many people continue to feel unsafe walking alone, at night, or in secluded areas.

“Even to this day, what we hear from folks is that they don’t feel safe walking alone at night,” she said.

Survivors and advocates say that, historically, when their concerns are brought forward they are provided advice on how to change their behaviour to prevent risk and protect themselves. Enright said instead the focus should be on how to change the culture and response around sexual assault.

“Why are we putting the onus on the people who are most at risk, and why isn’t there more change happening?” Enright asks.

Community agencies and performers join evening program

This year’s event will consist of two sections, the first being a drop-in space with community agencies who support survivors sharing information about their services.

Key Take Back the Night partners will be in attendance including the YWCA Peterborough-Haliburton, Elizabeth Fry Society of Peterborough, Peterborough AIDS Resource Network (PARN), and Niijkiwendidaa Anishnaabekwewag Services Circle.

In addition to the core organizing team, Enright identified Peterborough Community Legal Centre and the Community Race Relations Committee as being in attendance at the event.

“We’re trying to build this community where we’re all connected and we all understand that one service is probably not going to be a one-stop shop for people,” said Enright.

Enright also said that KSAC will be providing poster- and sign-making supplies from 5 to 6:30 p.m. to enable people who do not have the opportunity or means to bring their own signs to the rally to be fully involved.

From 6:30 to 8 p.m. the formal program of local poets, singers, and performers will take place. Enright noted local Indigenous drumming group Naandewegaan (Healing With Drums) will be participating in the event.

Finally, the group will “take back the night” by participating in a candle-lit march through Peterborough’s downtown core, with signs and rally cries calling for change.

“It involves an evening event and a walk through the downtown streets to emulate walking alone at night,” said Enright.

Sexual assault statistics ‘only scratch the surface’

Take Back the Night continues to be a core event in KSAC’s annual calendar to bring awareness to the prevalence of sexual assault both in Peterborough and on a wider scale.

Enright cited data from Office of the Federal Ombudsperson for Victims of Crime which showed that in Canada, one in three women and one in six men will experience sexual violence within their lifetime.

However, she noted that this data often relies on police reports, which KSAC recognizes is an underrepresentation of assault rates due to barriers to reporting and a lack of adequate law enforcement response.

“Statistics give us a little bit of an idea, but they still only really scratch the surface,” Enright said.

According to data released by the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough, reported cases of sexual assault have increased in Peterborough since 2006 and remain above the provincial and national average.

For Enright, the continuation of Take Back the Night is an important demonstration of solidarity with survivors from the community at large and represents readiness for change.

“This event is so important because it brings together all different folks and you know that everybody there is there for the common cause. Whether they’re a survivor or not, they recognize what the problem is and they want to do something about it,” she said.

Prevention education aims to create cultural change

In addition to providing survivor services, KSAC also provides education and training on prevention to schools, community agencies, businesses, and many other organizations. This includes discussion of consent, healthy relationships, and human trafficking.

Enright said that prevention education plays an important role in building a positive culture from a young age, translating to fewer instances of sexual assault and fewer individuals needing survivor services.

“We often have to wait until a problem has happened, whereas we would like to talk to folks, and especially young folks, to try and create cultural change.”

In particular, Enright noted KSAC’s involvement with the Peterborough Petes as an important opportunity to connect with young men to discuss healthy masculinity, consent, and allyship.

“We have a really good relationship with the Petes, but we’re hoping to take that into some more minor sports in Peterborough,” said Enright.

KSAC has recently hired a part-time male allyship coordinator to support further outreach efforts.

Take Back the Night itself is open to people of all gender identities and welcomes male allies. However, Enright noted that KSAC will continue to centre the voices and lived experience of those most impacted by sexual assault and violence.

“We’re making sure that we’re doing these events keeping in mind that Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit folks are greatly impacted by sexual violence,” said Enright.

For more information about KSAC’s supports and services, visit kawarthasexualassaultcentre.com, email info@kawarthasac.ca, or call 705-748-5901.

Peterborough mayor Jeff Leal will not seek a second term in the October municipal election.

Leal made the announcement in the boardroom at Peterborough City Hall on Thursday morning (August 20), ending months of speculation about his political future just one day before the nomination period closes.

After describing accomplishments under his term as mayor — including the mayor’s task force on housing, physician recruitment, investments in city parks, infrastructure improvements, and taking economic development and tourism in house — the 71-year-old Leal said he has “to be realistic about my age and my health.”

“If this were a two-year term, I would happily run again to see some of the major projects we have worked so hard to advance through to completion,” Leal said. “But committing to another four years of seven-days-a-week work is not what I am looking for at this stage of my life.”

He noted that he requires knee surgeries and “consequent rehab that would make my high standards of work ethic difficult to achieve” and that he wants “to enjoy my beautiful family while I still have good health.”

Leal’s decision means his four-year term as Peterborough’s 63rd mayor will conclude when the next city council takes office following the October 26 election.

Six candidates have filed their nomination papers to run for mayor: Michael Eamon, Brian Lumsden, Jacob Méthot, Neil Morton, incumbent Ashburnham Ward councillor Keith Riel, and Rebecca Schillemat.

Trent Radio director of operations Rob Hailman has also announced he will file his nomination papers on Friday (August 21). If he does, he will become the seventh candidate seeking the mayor’s chair. The nomination period closes at 2 p.m. Friday.

“The electorate now has an extremely important decision to make in the next municipal election,” Leal said. “Nostalgia and generalities is not a plan. I firmly believe Peterborough needs leaders who will continue the growth mindset we have established, and who stand on the shoulders of others.”

Leal’s full speech is available on the City of Peterborough website.

A Peterborough native and graduate of Kenner Collegiate, Trent University, and the University of Windsor, Leal began his political career when he was elected to represent Otonabee Ward on Peterborough city council in the mid-1980s. Before entering politics, he was employed as a health and safety representative for Coyle Corrugated Containers in Peterborough.

Leal remained on council until 2003, serving as deputy mayor from 1993 to 2003, first under Mayor Jack Doris and then Mayor Sylvia Sutherland.

He first ran provincially as the Ontario Liberal candidate in Peterborough in 1999, narrowly losing to incumbent Progressive Conservative MPP Gary Stewart. In a 2003 rematch, Leal defeated Stewart by more than 6,000 votes.

He was re-elected as Peterborough MPP in 2007, 2011, and 2014. During his 15 years at Queen’s Park, Leal served in several parliamentary assistant roles, as chief government whip, and in the provincial cabinet under then-premier Kathleen Wynne.

Leal was appointed minister of rural affairs in 2013 and became minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs the following year.

His provincial political career ended in 2018 when he finished third behind successful Progressive Conservative candidate Dave Smith and NDP candidate Sean Conway.

The results reflected an election that saw incumbent premier Kathleen Wynne’s Liberal party recording both the worst result in the party’s 161-year history and the worst result for any incumbent governing party in Ontario, as Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative formed a majority government, the Ontario New Democratic Party led by Andrea Horwath formed the official opposition, and the Liberal party lost official party status.

After four years away from elected office, Leal returned to municipal politics in 2022 when he announced his intention to run as Peterborough’s mayor. He defeated four other candidates — including then-city councillors Henry Clarke and Stephen Wrigt — finishing more than 4,600 votes ahead of Clarke.

Leal’s single term as mayor included several controversial decisions and incidents, particularly during 2025, when kawarthaNOW named him Peterborough’s Newsmaker of the Year.

In February 2025, Leal used his strong mayor powers to expedite Brock Mission’s proposed six-storey transitional housing project at 738 Chemong Road despite opposition from some neighbouring residents and most members of city council.

The decision prompted Northcrest Neighbours for Fair Process to launch a legal challenge. The group ultimately abandoned the case after a judge ordered it to provide $30,000 as security for the legal costs of the city and Brock Mission, later agreeing to pay $22,500 to settle the matter.

In May 2025, the city’s integrity commissioner Guy Giorno found Leal had violated city council’s code of conduct by intimidating councillor Alex Bierk and bullying councillor Joy Lachica in connection with the controversial redevelopment of Bonnerworth Park for pickleball courts.

The report, which also found Leal’s decision-making on the redevelopment did not involve a “private advantage” for him or for his wife, concluded the mayor’s comments to councillor Alex Bierk that “You’re going to regret you ever said that” and “I’ll carve you like a Thanksgiving turkey” — comments made after Bierk mentioned the mayor’s pickleball-playing wife by name during a council meeting — constituted intimidation.

Giorno also found that Leal had bullied councillor Joy Lachica by yelling at her in a city hall corridor following a council meeting on the Bonnerworth Park redevelopment, as well as through his behaviour toward her at a subsequent closed session.

Despite Giorno’s findings, city council meeting as general committee voted 7-3 against penalizing the mayor for breaching city council’s code of conduct, with councillors Bierk, Lachica, and Keith Riel voting against the motion (Leal had recused himself from the discussion and the vote). The arguments in support of the mayor were that he had already been penalized enough through the public shame of the integrity commissioner’s report.

Giorno issued another report in January 2026, this time clearing Leal of breaching council’s code of conduct during an incident in March 2025 while speaking to a business administration class at Trent University, when he used the n-word. The mayor claimed he had been quoting former U.S. president Lyndon B. Johnson, but the incident prompted calls for his resignation, a protest outside city hall, and nine complaints to the integrity commissioner.

In his report, while Giorno described the slur as “odious” and said the mayor’s use of the term was “not acceptable,” he found that council’s code of conduct did not apply to speech made in an academic setting where the mayor was not acting in his official capacity. City council later amended the code of conduct to address the use of racial slurs.

Leal also faced criticism over his support for substantial increases to the Peterborough Police Service’s operating and capital budgets, including a 9.22 per cent operating increase for 2026 and a $25.4-million increase to the estimated cost of renovating and expanding the city’s two police stations.

The 2026 municipal election will be held on Monday, October 26. Peterborough voters will elect a mayor, two councillors in each of the city’s five wards, and school board trustees.

With files from Paul Rellinger.

The original version of this story has been updated with excerpts from Mayor Leal’s speech.

As the fall municipal election in Peterborough approaches, residents are asking candidates hard questions about their most pressing issues — including their financial priorities.

Councillors are responsible for making decisions on the city’s annual budget, including priorities for services ranging from the police to the library and much more. For voters, understanding a candidate’s position on funding needs and priorities is central to making a decision on whether to support a candidate.

In recent years, the annual budget process has drawn significant criticism from residents. For example, when city staff proposed a 25 per cent cut in funding for 75 arts and social services organizations in the 2025 draft budget as a way to reduce costs, council heard from 33 public delegations before voting to maintain 2024 funding levels

Municipal elections across Ontario will take place on Monday, October 26. As residents of a single-tier municipality, Peterborough voters will elect a mayor, two city councillors in each of the city’s five wards, and school board trustees.

Although incumbent mayor Jeff Leal has yet to declare whether he intends to run for re-election, six candidates have filed their nomination papers so far seeking the mayor’s chair: Michael Eamon, Brian Lumsden, Jacob Méthot, Neil Morton, incumbent councillor Keith Riel, and Rebecca Schillemat.

Meanwhile, seven incumbent councillors have already begun their campaign for re-election. With 18 first-time or repeat candidates fighting to take their roles, each seat will be hotly contested. The nomination period is still open until Friday (August 21), so it’s possible even more candidates may decide to throw their hats in the ring.

As part of a multi-story series on the Peterborough municipal election, kawarthaNOW has already asked registered candidates in each of the city’s five wards to introduce their campaigns by answering three questions — why they are running, what the biggest challenge is in their ward, and what makes them a unique candidate for councillor — and has published their responses verbatim: Ward 1 (Otonabee), Ward 2 (Monaghan), Ward 3 (Town), Ward 4 (Ashburnham), and Ward 5 (Northcrest).

kawarthaNOW has now contacted all registered ward candidates to ask for their position on key election issues, including the question “What are your financial priorities and how will you balance funding needs across city services?”

kawarthaNOW asked each of the ward candidates to respond in email, and is publishing their answers verbatim with no editing.

kawarthaNOW asked each of the ward candidates to respond in email, and is publishing their answers verbatim with no editing. Responses were not received by publication date from Jessica Correa (Ward 1 – Otonabee), Andrew MacGregor (Ward 4 – Ashburnham), or Charmaine Magumbe and Debbie Halstead (Ward 5 – Northcrest). Jessica Correa has since withdrawn from the race. Charmaine Magumbe, Andrew MacGregor, and Lucas Graham provided responses after publication.

kawarthaNOW has reached out to Aris Metaxakis, a Ward 2 – Monaghan candidate who registered after kawarthaNOW sent its questions to candidates, and will include his answers to the questions if he responds.

Ward 1 – Otonabee

Kevin Duguay

City’s are facing considerable challenges arising from the downloading of responsibilities from upper levels of government. Community residents’ needs and requirements also continue to evolve, change and expand.

My responsibility as a City Councillor is to ensure the prudent and use of tax dollars addressing the wide-range of City programs, services and facilities.

For the next Council term, I will ensure that the overall City Budget achieves a proper balance between the taxpayers ability to accommodate the operating and capital budgets while ensuring that the City continues to grow and prosper.

The City’s Effectiveness and Efficiency Review Report is scheduled for public release in September 2026. This Report will provide Council and the community with various options to shape the financial parameters of future budgets.

Lucas Graham

My financial priority is making sure residents get better value from what they already pay, without confusing short-term cuts with long-term savings.

That means protecting essential services, keeping up with maintenance before small problems become expensive ones, and looking at the full lifecycle cost of major projects before Council commits to them. The cheapest option on paper can become the most expensive once you include financing, staffing, maintenance, and replacement.

I also want regular reviews of programs and service delivery, not as an excuse to cut for the sake of cutting, but to ask whether money is actually producing the result it was meant to. If something isn’t working, we should fix it or redirect those dollars. If it is working, we shouldn’t weaken it just to make the next budget look better on paper.

We also need to grow the commercial and industrial tax base and pursue outside funding where it makes sense, so residential taxpayers aren’t carrying so much of the load. To me, responsible budgeting means being honest about trade-offs, spending carefully, and not handing the next Council a bigger bill because we avoided dealing with something today.

Lesley Parnell

The municipal tax dollar has specific, mandated responsibilities. There are the “must dos” in order of priority and with balance, versus the “nice to dos”. We have embarked on a fulsome “Effectiveness and Efficiency Review” of all municipal services. This will highlight areas of opportunity to improve the delivery of services, in the most financially and priority driven way, to be efficient and sustainable moving forward. A Master Plan to help us stay focused and achieve the priority goals first — if the plan is adopted by the new council.

Chris Potter

My financial priority is discipline.

Residents are tapped out, and that has to be the starting point.

I do not support municipal tax increases beyond the rate of inflation. If council wants residents to pay more, council needs to be able to clearly explain why, what the money is for, and what has already been done to find savings first.

That doesn’t mean cutting recklessly. It means asking tougher questions before spending more.

We need to look closely at service delivery, staffing costs, capital planning, debt, reserves, outside boards and agencies, and whether programs are actually delivering what they’re supposed to deliver.

The City still has to fund core services, including roads, transit, housing-related pressures, emergency services, parks, waste, and infrastructure. None of that disappears because the budget is difficult. But the answer can’t always be to raise taxes and move on.

I want to see a stronger focus on value for money, clearer reporting, better long-term planning, and a budget process residents can actually understand.

Ward 2 – Monaghan

Matt Crowley

At the end of the day, every budget comes down to making choices.

My priority has always been to make sure taxpayers receive value for the money they pay while ensuring the City continues to provide the services people rely on every day.

Bottom line, that starts with looking after the infrastructure we already have. Roads, bridges, water and sewer systems, parks, and public facilities are very expensive to replace if we don’t maintain them properly. If we continue to invest in them now, it helps avoid much larger costs tomorrow.

It also means continuing to grow our commercial and industrial tax base through economic development. The more businesses we attract, the more we broaden the tax base and reduce pressure on residential property taxpayers over the long term.

One of the biggest financial challenges we face today is that we’re increasingly responding to downloaded issues that extend beyond traditional municipal responsibilities. Housing, homelessness, addictions, and mental health all have a direct impact on our community, but they also require strong partnerships with the provincial and federal governments. Local property taxes were never designed to fund every challenge a community faces.

My approach is fairly straightforward in that we spend responsibly, plan for the long term, invest where it makes the biggest difference, and continue advocating for Peterborough to receive its fair share from other levels of government.

Ashley Flynn

Many dollars our city spends comes from the taxpayers, so I think they need to be treated with respect.

I would like to ensure we’re getting value for every tax dollar while protecting the services our residents rely on. That means setting clear priorities, looking for efficiencies, and making long-term investments that reduce costs down the road instead of simply reacting year to year. We need to think further into the future instead of just focusing on the now.

Again, this comes down to the need to grow our revenue through economic development, not by continually asking homeowners to shoulder higher taxes. Expanding our commercial and industrial tax base, is one of the best ways to strengthen city finances over the long term.

Rose Kitney

Economic development and growth by attracting business and families to Peterborough, resulting in an increase in employment opportunity and therefore increased tax revenue to support other priorities such as affordable housing, social services, transportation, traffic and road improvement.

Jen Lacey

My financial priority is to ensure every tax dollar delivers value to residents. Families across Peterborough are making difficult financial decisions every day, and City Hall should demonstrate the same discipline, clarity, and accountability. Property taxes have increased significantly. It’s not sustainable and many feel that the service they receive is not adequate.

I believe the City’s first responsibility is to maintain the core services residents rely on every day: safe roads, clean water, emergency services, parks, recreation, reliable public transit, housing, community safety, and infrastructure because delaying those investments often costs more in the long run.

Balancing funding across city services starts with setting clear priorities, measuring outcomes, and regularly reviewing programs to ensure they are delivering results, before asking taxpayers to pay more, Council should look for efficiencies, reduce duplication, strengthen partnerships with other levels of government, and pursue available provincial and federal funding opportunities whenever they are available. Whenever I hear the response “We can’t do that”, I always ask “show me why you can’t”

I also believe Council should be clear about financial decisions. Residents deserve to understand where their tax dollars are going, why investments are being made, and what outcomes they can expect — the good and the bad. It is their money and they deserve to know all information.

AJ Shearer

Every decision council makes has a financial impact on residents, so we have a responsibility to spend taxpayers’ money wisely.

That starts with getting the basics right. We need to look after our roads, bridges and other infrastructure before they become much more expensive to fix, and we need to make sure any new spending is worthwhile.

At the same time, we can’t keep asking homeowners to shoulder more of the cost. We also need to grow Peterborough’s economy by attracting new businesses and investment as the broader our commercial and industrial tax base becomes, the less pressure there is on residential taxpayers.

To me, good financial management is about finding that balance. Spend responsibly, invest in the services people rely on, and grow the economy so we can keep Peterborough affordable over the long term.

Ward 3 – Town

Alex Bierk

People want to feel confident that their tax dollars are being managed responsibly. We are in a difficult position, trying to meet growing community needs within our financial capacity. I believe there is still a great deal we can do to improve things internally at City Hall to become more efficient — rather than repeatedly looking to cut discretionary investments in areas like arts, culture, and community organizations to balance the budget.

Jenni Cathcart

My priorities are threefold: protect funding for the core services residents rely on every day, pursue strategic investments that grow our tax base and reduce long-term costs, and invest in transitional housing that helps get people back on their feet.

Jessica Kuhlmorgen-Hille

I want to freeze property tax, as stands at current rates, and work within our budgetary means. Our citizens are not bottomless wells of cash, and need relief during these unprecedented times. I aim to ensure not one cent more is asked of them, at the very least until our city and citizens are more financially stable. Council need to buckle down and tighten their waistbands like everyone else — which is where experience in poverty, stretching cents into dollars, comes in very handy. If we are in need of more funds, I will not look to our citizens, but to our MPP & MP for assistance. We all need to work together, closely, to ensure a secure fiscal future for Peterborough, and I am confident we can accomplish this with the right efforts.

Joy Lachica

My goal would be to see a Multi-year Budget template presented to Council to implement. Stepping back from the canvas to address systemic operational issues in every division and setting strategic (budget) priorities early in a council term is essential and should be a driver in the Strategic Planning. Operationally, both social infrastructure and physical infrastructure deficits require front and centre discussion and highlighting early as well.

Our 2025 Asset Management Plan highlights a $132 million annual shortfall to eliminate the backlog. Our road network is ranked in “fair” condition, with $1.4 billion in replacement costs for roads, bridges and related assets. These realities prompt a sober second thought for council and taxpayers as proposed luxury capital projects present themselves when much-needed maintenance and scaffolding of our current infrastructure requires attention.

I believe our public budget consultation process should be reassessed for format, accessibility reasons. I consider my fiduciary responsibility as councillor around budget-setting to be paramount in these challenging economic times — times, when each and every tax dollar matters immensely and municipal priorities ought to be carefully and collaboratively set.

Nigel Lister

I have a background in business with managing revenue and growth for several different companies. I believe we can find alternative ways to create revenue for the City without having to massively increase taxes on our people to meet our budgets. I will be going into that in more detail over the next few months while campaigning.

Ward 4 – Ashburnham

Gary Baldwin

That is the million-dollar question. How do we continue to fund the services the Corporation provides at the same or better service level, and how do we pay for those services. Council works collaboratively during budget deliberations to make those decisions. My priorities for the coming term include investing in public safety (fire, ambulance police), public transportation, housing, the arts, parks and recreations, and advocating for investments in sensible and sustainable infrastructure improvements.

Ashley Bonner

My financial priorities are rooted in fiscal responsibility, transparency, and a commitment to protecting our taxpayers. With year-over-year property tax increases, many residents aren’t seeing the value of those increases reflected in their daily lives.

Our top priority must be funding our foundational, everyday city services. Before we allocate millions to flashy, new capital projects, we need to ensure our roads, existing transit systems, public safety, and core neighbourhood maintenance are fully and properly funded. Clean, safe, and functional streets are the true backbone of our community and local economy.

We cannot treat council spending like a moving target. Every single growth and economic strategy we fund moving forward must explicitly link back to the Master Plan. This prevents standalone, reactive projects from draining our budget, ensuring that when we do spend money on growth, it focuses on cost-saving infill development and the affordable, supportive solutions our community actually need.

Andrew MacGregor

In business, and in Municipal Finances, you can adjust money in one of two ways: earn more or spend less. Cutting services is a race to the bottom, leaving impoverished families behind as relied-upon services vanish, only exacerbating poverty challenges. Instead, the city should focus on earning more, and not by increasing taxes, but by increasing the tax base. Adding a thousand tax paying homes to the tax base is better than raising taxes on the existing base, and has the benefit of addressing the housing shortage crisis.

Jason Stabler

Providing the services required by a thriving community while ensuring that property tax increases are minimized is one of the core tasks of City Council. The City should continue to invest in the infrastructure (parks, roads etc) and services that improve the quality of life of our community. We should also make investments that will increase our tax base by attracting new residents and businesses and continue to seek funding from the provincial and federal government to help pay for infrastructure, rent-geared to income housing and social services.

Ward 5 – Northcrest

Andrew Beamer

My financial priorities include controlling spending, fighting to keep taxes in check, and always respecting the taxpayer’s purse. With so many individuals and families struggling today, controlling spending and keeping taxes low must be a top priority at City Hall. Fiscal responsibility must be the focus at City Hall. I have developed a strong reputation while on City Council as being a voice for responsible spending and low taxes. As mentioned, there is a balance. We need to respect the taxpayer’s ability to pay while also investing in the services that residents expect and enjoy. We need to continue to invest in roads, public safety, safe streets, parks and recreation, and housing.

Phillip Jolicoeur

My financial priority would be ensuring residents receive good value for every dollar the City spends while protecting the services and infrastructure they rely on.

Families, seniors, and local businesses are already facing affordability pressures. Council cannot treat taxpayers as though they have an unlimited ability to absorb increases. At the same time, repeatedly delaying road repairs, infrastructure renewal, and other necessary work often makes those costs much higher later.

I would focus first on essential services, maintaining what the city already owns, and examining whether programs are delivering the results residents were promised. I would support finding efficiencies, reviewing outside agency requests, pursuing grants and partnerships, and growing our commercial and industrial tax base.

Cities also need to make calculated investments in their future. Not every investment is guaranteed, but continually deferring important decisions creates risks and costs of its own.

I will not promise taxes will never increase because that would not be honest. However, I will question increases, challenge assumptions, and expect clear evidence before asking residents to pay more. People deserve to understand where their money is going and what results they should expect.

Paul Lawton

My financial priority is responsible spending. Every dollar City Hall spends came from someone who had to earn it.

That does not mean neglecting core services. It means setting clearer priorities, controlling costs, and being honest about trade-offs. Roads, sidewalks, parks, snow clearing, water, sewer, waste collection, public safety, and basic infrastructure should come before nice-to-have projects.

Major spending decisions should come with plain-language explanations, real business cases, lifecycle costs, operating costs, debt implications, and a clear explanation of what other priorities may be delayed.

Residents deserve careful budgeting, not automatic tax increases and not blank cheques.

Charmaine Magumbe

My view on financial priorities is that City Council must be financially responsible and accountable to Peterborough taxpayers. We need to be efficient, transparent, and have affordability measures in place.

To balance financial priorities, we should avoid funding large projects — such as Multi-Use Sport Entertainment Center MUSEC — with municipal tax dollars unless there are committed funds from provincial, federal, and private sources. For major projects like MUSEC, we should consider public-private partnerships and refrain from relying on local taxpayers to shoulder the costs. Any major project of this kind should be deferred until adequate external funding is secured.

My priority is to direct public money to essential public services that residents use every day: libraries, police, community services, arts and culture, housing and shelters, emergency services, public transit, road maintenance, and waste management. These are the foundations of a healthy, vibrant community.

We can generate more revenue for the city by:

• Increasing the Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) from 4% to 5%. In 2023, the City collected approximately $863,000 in net MAT; the City retains 50% as general revenue to support the capital program and remits the remaining 50% to the eligible tourism entity (Peterborough Tourism Municipal Services Corporation).
• Negotiating a higher revenue share from the OLG Peterborough casino. In the fiscal year ending March 2026, the City received a total of $2,651,125, including a fourth-quarter payment of $597,293.
• Adjusting user fees and service charges by increasing them by 1-2%. In 2024, these generated almost $75 million.
• Modestly increasing revenue from government grants and partner municipalities (e.g., a 0.7% increase). According to the 2024 Treasurer’s report, the City received about $155 million from these sources.
• Introducing Municipal Vacant Home/Unit Taxes (VHT/VUT), implemented by cities like Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton, Vancouver, and Sault Ste. Marie. These typically charge 1% to 3% of the property’s assessed value.

Gavin Muir

My starting point is revenue: our residential tax base can’t carry this city’s future on its own, so growing our economic base — through the partnerships I’ve talked about elsewhere, with the county, our post-secondary institutions, and the business community — has to be a real financial priority, not an afterthought. But new revenue only works alongside real discipline on the spending side.

My approach is “smarter spending, real results”: every dollar the city spends, whether on a major capital commitment or day-to-day municipal services, should be spent where it delivers the greatest result for residents. That means having a clear picture of what we’re committing to, why, and what we’re getting in return, before council commits public money — not after. The days of “build it and they will come” are over. We need to build actual muscle that moves this city forward, not bloat for the sake of a headline.

Jim Wasson

Economic growth is easier when municipalities manage their finances while growing the commercial and industrial tax base to reduce pressure on residential taxpayers.

kawarthaNOW has reproduced written responses from candidates verbatim. Any errors, factual or otherwise, or any use of AI-generated content originate with the candidate.

This story was updated on September 1 to include a response from Town Ward candidate Nigel Lister, who filed his nomination papers after the story was originally published.

This story was updated on September 10 to include a response from Northcrest candidate Charmaine Magumbe.

This story was updated on September 18 to include a response from Ashburnham Ward candidate Andrew MacGregor.

This story was updated on September 24 to include a response from Otonabee Ward candidate Lucas Graham.