Municipal Responsibilities and Other Government

Three levels of government – municipal, provincial and federal – have various responsibilities in Kawartha Lakes. It's important to understand how each level of government works and what specific services they provide through taxes and/or fees for services.

The responsibilities of municipal governments are set out in the Municipal Act, 2001 and include many of the services you rely on daily.

Kawartha Lakes is a single-tier municipality in Ontario, meaning there is no upper-tier, such as a county or district municipality, to which Kawartha Lakes Council reports. Also, there is no lower-tier government, such as a township, village or town, operating within Kawartha Lakes. This structure has been in place since the merger of the County of Victoria with 16 former lower-tier municipalities on January 1, 2001.