‘A vanity project’: Sarnia police offer compromise as city’s mayor threatens strong mayor powers

Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley is threatening strong mayor powers to stop any immediate plans for a new police station. Gerry Dewan explains.

Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley isn’t pulling his punches when it comes to planning for a new Sarnia police station.

“I’m not going to support a vanity project at a time that we can’t afford it,” he said.

In a letter to council, Bradley made his intentions clear. He was prepared to use strong mayor powers to pull $5.7 million from 2026 draft budget. That money was part of a capital request from Sarnia Police Service leadership, as they ready to build a new police headquarters.

Sarnia police have launched a social media campaign highlighting the unique needs of policing and the inadequacies of the current facility.

The initial estimate for construction of a new police station was $91 million. Bradley says that would mean significant year-over-year tax increases for Sarnia ratepayers.

“The police budget increase for this building and the debt in the first year is 7 per cent alone and will continue for the next 25 or 30 years,” he said.

Police Services Board Chair Paul Wiersma told CTV News they’re ready to offer an alternative approach.

“What we’re going to propose is a phased-in approach,” he said. “So, we’re going to ask for funding for a phase one. That would be $25 million. So significantly less.”

Wiersma said the staged approach would reduce the tax shock.

“We’ve conferred with city staff, and our understanding is that $25 million can be financed over 30 years. And that would be a 1.7 per cent increase in the tax levy,” he explained.

There will be an additional funding request when they move forward with the second stage of the new complex.

Wiersma insists the police service is running out of options when it comes to retrofitting and reconfiguring the current headquarters.

He says temporary fixes can be expensive and they’re reaching the point where that approach is no longer an option.

He stresses that waiting also comes at a cost.

“When we talk to the consultants, they talk about the escalation costs,” Wiersma explained. “Every year you wait you can add another 4 per cent to the project.”

Wiersma notes the new build will be on lands already owned by the city and there will be room to expand in the future. He’s confident that the current location will have value on the open market, which the city can benefit from.

Bradley warns the economic impacts of U.S. tariffs are just starting to be felt, and all city departments, boards, and commissions will need to keep that in mind.

“I want to protect the people of Sarnia right now in 2026 to get through this storm,” he said. “And we haven’t even seen, really, the eye of the storm yet.”

A public input session for the city’s draft budget is scheduled for Nov. 17. That’s when the police will bring forward their revised capital funding request.

The final budget debate will take place on the Nov. 25.