News Flash

The City Manager’s newsletter for February 13, 2026, is available online.

For an archive of City Manager newsletters, click here.

Tax season is right around the corner, so now is the time to start gathering your records and required documents. 

Sidney Income Tax Returns are due no later than April 15, 2026. All Sidney residents over the age of 18 are subject to Sidney income tax on their taxable income and are required to file a return. If you lived in Sidney at any time during 2025 you are required to file a Sidney Income Tax Return. If you had no taxable income you may be eligible to file an Exemption Form.

Individual Tax forms may be obtained at the Revenue Collections department at City Hall, or by visiting the city’s website. Individual tax returns may be filed online. In addition, our office is open from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday to assist taxpayers with Sidney tax return preparation at no charge. 

Any taxpayer with questions is encouraged to visit our website, email Lesley Schweitzer, Income Tax Administrator, at tax@sidneyoh.com, or call the City of Sidney Revenue Collections Department, at 937-498-8111.

In response to the comments, questions, and concerns that have been raised from residents and those individuals living outside of city limits about the proposed data center development along Millcreek Road an FAQ page is now available on www.sidneyoh.com.  (https://www.sidneyoh.com/526/6533/Proposed-Data-Center-FAQ)

Right now, there are a lot of assumptions, partial explanations, and second-hand interpretations circulating. That’s understandable—this isn’t a simple process—but it’s also the reason misunderstandings continue to occur.

Rather than relying on guesses or informal explanations, the most important step is to go directly to the source. The city has created an FAQ page on its website that was established to give the facts about the proposed data center project. These responses are based upon the questions and comments we are hearing and is designed to be a living document as it is updated frequently. There you will find information about:

• What is proposed to be built in Sidney
• Why Sidney was chosen
• How this will impact the local economy
• Why public records must be redacted to protect critical infrastructure
• Answers to questions about the tax abatement
• Details on impacts to local utilities
• Facts about environmental impacts
• And an explanation of the multi-step process involved in evaluating the feasibility, compliance, and long-term viability of any economic development project, including the proposed data center project.

As the project progresses and new information becomes available, this page will continue to be updated and expanded to reflect the most current details.

Questions about the project should be directed to City Manager Crusey.

The Sidney Municipal Court has over $4,700 in unclaimed funds. 

The Court’s Unclaimed Funds are from checks that were issued, but never cashed. If you find your name or firm listed and want to have the check reissued, please contact Sidney Municipal Court at 937-498-8712 before March 31, 2026. Anyone wishing to claim these funds should bring their ID to the Clerk’s Office located on the 3rd floor of the Municipal Court building.

Pursuant to 1901.31 (G) of the Ohio Revised Code, the following checks are outstanding in the Sidney Municipal Court Clerk’s Office and will be paid into the City of Sidney’s General Fund on April 1, 2026, if left unclaimed.

Earlier this month, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Development announced nearly $11 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) allocations to support community development projects in 51 communities across the state. The City of Sidney will receive $150,000 as a part of this program.

With the funds, $74,000 will be allocated to repair or replace sanitary sewer and water service connections for single-family homes where the owners qualify as low- and moderate-income. The city will also use $50,000 of available funds to replace a shelter at Riverbend Park. The remaining $26,000 has been allocated for grant administration and the city’s Fair Housing Program.

To be eligible for the sanitary sewer or water service line replacement program, the applicant must meet all three program criteria:

•  Meet or be below annual household income guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
• Own the home where the improvements need to be made 
• Completed a sewer lateral inspection and have submitted the information to the city’s Underground Utilities division OR have determined that the water service line to the home is lead pipe.

Funds will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. The date that the pre-application form is submitted will be considered the application date. Applicants will need to complete a full application prior to award/contracting, including income verification. The city expects to receive the funding mid-2026 and applications for the Sanitary Sewer | Water Service Line program will then be made available.

The city has used portions of its CDBG Allocation Grant funds for the sanitary sewer or water service line replacement program since Fiscal Year 2015.

The new shelter at Riverbend Park will replace one estimated to be over 30 years old. The city uses this shelter as a site for its annual Summer Food Program.

Sidney customers have several utility bill payment options. Auto deduction from a checking or savings account is the most convenient and efficient method. The bill amount is deducted from your account on the invoice due date. If that date falls on a legal holiday or weekend, the payment will be deducted the next business day.

NO checks to write! • NO phone call to make! • NO stamp for the return payment! • NO worrying about unpaid bills during vacations!

Customers just need to complete a short authorization form and provide a voided check.

The City also offers a self-serve online payment option via a secure link to our Merchant Processor. Customers will need to enter their information into the fields exactly as they appear on the bill.

Work is presently underway to add the following to Tawawa Park.

• For improved safety, a private carrier is currently constructing a new cell tower in the Brookside area of the park.
• Another historic bridge, a DH Morrison Bridge, is currently undergoing restoration and when returned to Sidney will be used to provide pedestrian and bicycle access to the trails on either side of Tawawa Lake. The city received Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) Transportation Alternative Program (TAP) funding for this project.
• A 25 year old play structure in the Watkins Woods area of Tawawa Park is being razed and replaced with a new structure. 
• New table shelters are under construction in the Meyer Meadow, Watkins Woods, and Wagner Glade areas of Tawawa Park thanks to a donation from Larry Valentine.
• The conservation area in the Baumgardner Basin area of Tawawa Park (soccer basin) is scheduled to be seeded in December. This worked is being funded by the Rotary Club of Sidney and the Sidney Kiwanis.
• A new drinking fountain and concrete pad, located at the front gate to Tawawa Park, are being installed by city staff.
• Disc golf baskets will be installed throughout the park in the coming weeks. The new disc golf course is being funded entirely by private donations

Get out and enjoy YOUR Sidney parks today!