The next time the Windsor-Essex Economic Development Corporation appears before Windsor city council, it should have some numbers to back up its claims of success.
Back in 2015, then CEO Sandra Pupatello came under fire from city councillor Hilary Payne when she was unable to say how many jobs the corporation had produced. At the time, Windsor's jobless rate was over 9%. He raised questions about accountability and the structure of its board of directors.
Not long after, Pupatello stepped down.
Windsor Essex Economic Development Corporation CEO Sandra Pupatello speaks to Windsor City Council, January 19, 2015. (Photo by Mike Vlasveld)
Current CEO Stephen MacKenzie says the corporation had adopted a policy of issuing quarterly reports, before he started four months ago. The public report is distributed to stakeholders and posted on WEEDC's website.
Right now, the corporation is working on a five-year strategic plan.
MacKenzie says it will include benchmarks and those on city council won't have to take his word for it.
"It will be very transparent. Goals and then successes," he says. "And if we come up short, you know we'll need to analyze that too."
The last strategic plan was put together in 2011, and MacKenzie says the new one will be revisited and revised, if necessary on a yearly basis.
As for whether it will cost taxpayers money, MacKenzie says, "We certainly hope not -- we'll approach that on a case-by-case basis, but I'm happy to say that the funding is stable. We'll be preparing activity plans to leverage every last dollar."
On the plus side, housing sales and starts are up significantly from 2015, an important indicator of economic health, says MacKenzie.
As for challenges the city faces over the next half decade, he points to statements made by incoming U.S. President Donald Trump that he will want to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement.
"We seem to be experiencing an increase in overall global protectionism. That has us concerned," says MacKenzie. "We depend on exporting to international markets, especially here in southwestern Ontario with how closely integrated we are and how much of our product goes across the border, so any potential threats or thickening of the border are certainly a concern."
When it comes to government incentives, MacKenzie says municipal governments are quite progressive. He attended Thursday morning's provincial pre-budget consultation in Windsor, testifying that senior governments might want to offer more robust incentives, and speed up response times for companies considering making an investment.
- With files from Mike Vlasveld