Niagara-on-the-Lake ended 2025 with about $2.35 million unspent after some town projects cost less than expected and others did not go ahead.
The money will either return to its original funding source or help pay for related work, including protective equipment for firefighters, guide rail improvements, crack sealing, roof repairs and water meter replacements.
Committee of the whole supported the plan July 14 and council is expected to make the final decision July 21.
About $1.44 million came from completed work that finished under budget and roughly $907,000 had been set aside for projects that were later cancelled.
The largest saving came from rebuilding Concession 6 between Warner and York roads. The $1.9-million project cost roughly $515,500 less than budgeted because of favourable market conditions.
The town also saved roughly $97,700 resurfacing Queen’s Parade, $68,800 resurfacing Elden Street and $61,400 on engineering work for Line 2 culverts.
Repairs to the Station 1 fire hall parking lot came in roughly $31,300 under budget, while the Cherry Street sidewalk project cost about $16,000 less than expected.
Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa credited more than $200,000 in savings to approving the budget early, which he said allowed town staff to seek bids for projects before other municipalities.
“There’s over $200,000 in savings as a result of our work to get our budget done early,” Zalepa said.
“So kudos to council for their hard work on the budget last year. It paid off.”
But not every project stayed within budget.
Problems caused by lake levels pushed work on the Melville Street storm sewer roughly $110,500 over budget. A pollution-control project cost roughly $49,100 more than expected because the town had to monitor water flows longer than planned.
Coun. Wendy Cheropita also questioned the $12,000 budget for a new refrigerator at the community centre.
“I saw a purchase that I just thought was worth raising concern,” she said. “A refrigerator at the community center. It was budgeted for $12,000. That’s a pretty high-end unit.”
Chief administrative officer Nick Ruller said he believed it was a commercial-grade walk-in refrigerator for the auditorium’s commercial kitchen. The town ultimately paid roughly $6,200 for it.
