Sidney Town Council met on May 11, 2026 to review progress on the Town Hall replacement and to discuss elements of the town’s 2026-2030 financial plan, among other local issues. The meeting covered a report on the warming centre, a request on regional recreation borrowing, a pickleball court trial at Iroquois Park, and targeted parking changes on Allbay Road and Bowden Road, according to the Sidney Town Council.
Council heard that the existing Town Hall, built in 1964, is deteriorating and no longer meets accessibility and space needs. A 2025 building condition assessment found extensive work would be required, including replacement of mechanical and electrical systems, new footings, installation of an elevator and seismic upgrades. Those findings are driving the ongoing Town Hall replacement project and related public engagement this year.
The town’s 2026-2030 Financial Plan, adopted March 16, 2026, sets a $32.8 million operating budget and a $12.5 million capital budget for 2026. Council approved a 9.37 percent general tax increase applied equally to all property types after staff recommended deferring non-urgent capital work to lower costs from an earlier 12.4 percent proposal. The town says the change works out to roughly $176 a year, or about $15 a month, for the average residential property.
At the May 11 meeting council also decided not to support a regional request to authorize up to $14.2 million in borrowing for a proposed indoor recreation facility in Central Saanich, noting that borrowing costs would be shared among peninsula taxpayers. Mayor Cliff McNeil-Smith, who is serving as Mayor of Sidney and as Chair of the Capital Regional District Board for 2026, and council continue to balance budget pressures with capital needs as the town moves forward with planned improvements.
