March 12, 2025
Town of Sidney Council Meeting Highlights: March 10 & 11, 2025
Sidney BC
Highlights from regular Council meetings provide a brief summary of some items of broad public interest. The summary is not inclusive of all agenda items. Please refer to sidney.civicweb.net/Portal for the full agenda, minutes, and webcast.
Council approves 2025-2029 Financial Plan
Sidney’s 2025-2029 Financial Plan was adopted by Council following final budget deliberations on March 11th. It includes an operating budget of $31 million and a capital budget of $9.6 million for 2025. The general tax increase for the year has been set at 10.67%.
Each year, the Town’s budget covers a wide range of core services, including but not limited to the maintenance of roads, sidewalks, parks, and underground utilities that residents and businesses make use of daily. The Financial Plan also features an emphasis on environmental projects, climate adaptation, and active transportation, while enhancing the essential public safety services such as police and fire.
The proposed general tax increase in the draft Financial Plan, introduced to Council on February 3, was 12.85%. Council was successful in reducing the general increase by 2.18%.
The impact on the average residential property equates to approximately $191 for the year, or $16 per month.
The proposed tax increase is the highest for the Town in recent decades. It reflects key factors including, but not limited to:
- Construction inflation, which has outstripped general inflation by almost 100% in recent years;
- Protective services (RCMP and Fire) improvements, which represent a 4.35% increase; and
- Expanding areas of responsibility, as the Province downloads key costs and services related to housing, emergency management, and fire safety to municipalities, including the cost of police dispatch services. Police dispatch costs alone are equivalent to a 2.24% increase for 2025, with more to come next year.
Over the past five years, the Town successfully offset many cost pressures by drawing from surplus reserves, which now need to be replenished, and the COVID Safe Restart grant, which is now depleted.
“Council identified a number of opportunities to reduce this year’s tax increase below the initial proposed rate of 12.85%; however, due to external forces, we are not able to bring the tax rate down to the very modest levels community members are accustomed to in Sidney,” said Mayor McNeil-Smith. “Through this Financial Plan, we are enhancing protective services for our growing community and maintaining the services that make Sidney a wonderful place to live and do business.”
Budget Webpage Video
Council directs staff to explore parking changes in Allbay Road neighbourhood
Council continues to explore possible solutions to concerns from residents of Allbay Road about parked cars from workers on Harbour Road. Following a public meeting on March 3 to hear from community members, Council has directed staff to bring forward a report exploring the possibility of installing signs that read: “No Parking Between 8am and 4pm” on one side of Allbay Road from Resthaven Drive to Bowden Road. The report will also look into the addition of time-limited parking signs on one side of Bowden Road south of Allbay Road and beside a community mailbox on Bowden Road. Staff will also report on the possibility of restricting parking near two curved sections of Allbay Road near Eden Place. The report will come to Council at a future meeting in 2025.
Project Webpage Video
Council approves updated Strategic Plan
Following a four-week public review period, Council has approved an updated 2022-2026 Strategic Plan.
Newly added priorities include:
- Exploring the creation of a Tenant Protection Bylaw;
- Updating the Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw to align with the 20-year housing supply forecasts in in the Housing Needs Report; and
- Developing a concept plan and undertaking community engagement for the future replacement of the Town Hall building.
Strategic planning is a process used to set key priorities for the municipality, above and beyond core operations. The plan is reviewed and updated on an annual basis by Council to monitor progress and update priorities as needed.
Updated Strategic Plan Video