February 5, 2025
Town of Sidney presents draft 2025 budget for Council consideration
Sidney, BC – During a Committee of the Whole meeting on February 3rd, Town of Sidney staff presented a draft 2025 budget for Council consideration. The draft budget includes a proposed general tax increase of 12.85%, which represents approximately $230 per year for the average resident, or $19 per month. This amount is a starting point for upcoming budget deliberations by Council. Over the course of the budget process, Council may choose to add or remove certain projects and initiatives.
The proposed tax increase is the highest starting point 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.
The Town successfully offset many of the cost pressures over the past five years by drawing from surplus reserves and the COVID Safe Restart grant. While this year contemplates another draw on surplus reserves, tax revenue must increase to replace the now depleted grant. The Town is no longer able to absorb the cost increases of existing and expanding service levels without a tax increase that compensates for this loss of short-term funding sources.
The purpose of this increase is to ensure the financial sustainability of the Town, and to safeguard the vital services provided to residents and businesses.
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 maintaining the essential public safety services such as police and fire.
Members of the public are invited to review and provide feedback on the draft budget. Information about the budgeting process, and the detailed draft budget, can be found online at Sidney.ca. Feedback can be submitted by writing admin@sidney.ca or by speaking at an upcoming Council meeting involving budget deliberations. These meetings are scheduled for 6pm in Council Chambers on February 18th and March 4th.