For the first time, Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley is using his strong mayor powers to alter the city's draft budget to lower next year's proposed tax increase, citing tough economic times for residents.
The 2026 draft budget was released on Monday with a proposed tax increase of 3.1 per cent.
However, Bradley said if he didn't use the strong mayor powers, offered by the province, the proposed tax increase would have amounted to nearly 14 per cent.
"I could not let that happen," he told Sarnia News Today.
One of the changes made to the draft budget included cutting the financing cost for a new police headquarters, estimated at $91.1 million.
Bradley said the commitment would have required annual payments of $5.7 million for 30 years.
He also speculated that the cost for a new police facility would continue to climb.
"They need to go back to the drawing board," he said.
Bradley said he agonized over the thought of using the strong mayor powers over the past month.
"The people of Sarnia right now are hurting. The people across this country are hurting economically, and I wrote this budget on the basis of, we've got to do as much as we can to help them," Bradley said.
Another modification made to the draft budget was to move the Bright's Grove Library contribution to the unfunded capital list. Bradley also worked with staff to reduce the overall general levy increase to the proposed operating budget.
While Bradley is willing to defend his budget, it does require council support in order to pass.
"Six of them can overrule it," he said. "If they want to go in a different direction, then they'll have to take the accountability on how high they want taxes to go in 2026."
A proposed tax hike of 3.1 per cent would amount to an increase of roughly $29 per $100,000 of residential assessment.
The draft 2026 operating budget outlines $195.5 million in spending, and the draft capital budget proposes $59.9 million in investments.
Capital investments include roads, water infrastructure, and community facilities. A few of the major capital projects in the proposal include:
- $11 million for the extension of Wellington Street
- $10.9 million in combined sewer separation
- $7.8 million in sewer/ water/ road reconstruction on Copland Road and Kathleen Avenue
- $4.5 million on St. Andrews Street Treatment Plant rehabilitation and process improvements
- $4.1 million in road resurfacing
Input from the public regarding the draft budget will be heard during the regular council meeting, scheduled for November 17.
Budget deliberations are set to begin on November 25, beginning at 9 a.m.
