Funding for a new Sarnia police facility is not expected to be included in the final 2026 budget after city council failed to get the required six votes needed to override the mayor's veto.
Mike Bradley used strong mayor powers to veto an amendment made to the proposed budget during the November 25 deliberations.
At the time, council voted 5-4 in favour of adding $5 million to the police budget through borrowing.
Councillor Anne Marie Gillis' motion on Monday to override the veto failed.
The mayor's decision was supported by four votes: Bradley himself and councillors Terry Burrell, Dave Boushy, and Bill Dennis.
"My analysis was that because they listened to the public, they would support my decision on the police budget and that's a victory for the taxpayers of Sarnia," Bradley told Sarnia News Today after the meeting.
However, councillors Bill Dennis, Anne Marie Gillis, Adam Kilner, Chrissy McRoberts, George Vandenberg, and Brian White supported the Sarnia BACE project and overrode the mayor's veto.
The group proposing the health and community complex previously asked council to allocate a total of $10 million for the multi-use campus, which is planned to be located behind the Goodwill on Michigan Avenue.
During budget deliberations, council passed an amendment to finance $4.1 million in 2026 to support the project, with the understanding that the city is going to continue investigating the plans.
"I have an obligation to point out the concerns I have," Bradley said. "Asking us to take on debt, up to $10 million, without any analysis by us... These are good people behind the project but [there was] no analysis by the city."
While the deadline to override a veto hasn't technically passed (December 20), Bradley said he expects Monday's decision to be final.
"We're at the end of the budget process," he said. "I have to say it's been difficult. First time doing it through the strong mayor powers but it focused the budget and I did my job, which is to give the best advice I can to council and if they override it, I respect that also."
Council voted to effectively finalize the 2026 budget. However, numbers associated with the proposed tax increase were not immediately available.
Sarnia residents living inside the transit area were previously looking at a 2026 tax increase of 4.32 per cent.
City of Sarnia Communications Manager Steve Henschel said an update regarding the budget would be released on Tuesday.
In the meantime, city council voted against the mayor's motion to put a funding cap on how much the city will contribute to the Bright’s Grove Library project.
Monday marked the last scheduled city council meeting of 2025.
"I want to congratulate you, Mayor Bradley and all of our councillors, for having an excellent meeting in a very, very long time," chuckled Councillor Gillis before the meeting adjourned.
The next regular city council meeting is scheduled to take place on Monday, January 19, 2026.
