The Mississippi Lakes Association (MLA) has been collaborating with property owners in Drummond North Elmsley (DNE) township to tackle the difference in road maintenance expenses between private and municipal roads. The goal is to bridge this gap by creating a private road equalization program (PREP) akin to the one in Beckwith Township. Here is the most recent update.
Presentation to Drummond North Elmsley Council regarding Private Road Maintenance Costs
On November 12th, the DNE-Mississippi Lake Private Road Association Task Force, with backing from the Mississippi Lakes Association and representatives from different areas of the lake, delivered a presentation to the DNE Council. The aim of the presentation was to assist DNEÂ in understanding and addressing the disparity between the municipal services received and the taxes paid by residents on private roads compared to those on municipal roads, particularly concerning the summer and winter maintenance of roads.
The Task Force asked to develop a collaborative process to investigate and report on various issues respecting Private Roads in the Township, involving Township staff and Mississippi Lake Road Association representatives. They would:
Consult with the various Private Roads groups in the Township
Gather relevant data
Investigate and understand any imbalance between the services received by the residents on private roads and the taxes paid, specifically regarding the summer and winter maintenance for the roads
Investigate methods to address any imbalance
Prepare a report to DNE Council with recommendations on how to address issues in a fair and equitable manner
Given the time constraints for presentations during council meetings, Reeve Steve Fournier offered a private follow-up meeting to better understand the issues, which occurred on November 20th. It was attended by Task Force members Paul Nephin and Dave Robertson; and Steve Fournier – Reeve, John Matheson – Deputy Reeve, Clint Bron – Manager of Public Works, and Laura Code – Public Works Coordinator.
During the meeting on November 20th, Reeve Fournier emphasized that if they take action for Mississippi Lake residents, they will need to extend the same to all 141 private roads in DNE. He also noted that every additional $50K spent would necessitate a 1% tax increase. He suggested several times that organizing a lobbying effort by our property owners before the 2026 budget discussions is the way to capture their attention. The Task Force is scheduled to meet again in January.
The November 12th presentation can be viewed here