The CEO of the WindsorEssex Economic Development Corporation is firing back after a city councillor openly questioned the corporation's accountability.
Sandra Pupatello notes Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens and Essex County Warden Tom Bain already sit on the corporation's board, but if Councillor Hilary Payne thinks it needs more elected officials, he should speak with the board.
Payne spoke out after Statistics Canada released figures showing Windsor's unemployment rate was the highest in the country. The January rate fell 0.3% from December to 9.4%.
Pupatello defends the corporation's record saying the unemployment rate is not an accurate barometer of results. "Employment rates is probably the worst example because there's such a lag between the work involved and the summary results."
She also refuted Payne's claim that holding multiple jobs means she can't focus adequately on economic development efforts in Windsor-Essex. "This board was very happy with my own performance," she says. "What I believe is that having a foot in the business community outside of Windsor, where the decision-makers are, and the executives are, is actually good for Windsor."