County council is backing the Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority's 2016 budget with a unanimous vote of approval Wednesday night.
The budget still needs approval from Windsor city council before a $4/tonne increase to the tipping fee takes effect — the first increase since 2013.
County Warden Tom Bain has some concern the city may reject the budget after the four city members of the EWSWA board voted against the document.
"We're hoping that the city will be able to find some other areas of cutting and they'll be able to agree with us on this," says Bain.
The budget sees Windsor and Essex County municipalities paying $588,860 more in assessment ot the EWSWA in 2016 than in 2015. The city sees a $290,010 increase while the county's increase adds up to $298,850.
Bain doesn't see much else to cut in the budget and hopes city council agrees with the county's assessment.
"We went over it with a fine tooth comb," says Bain. "To find savings that would cut it back to zero [assessment increase] no, I think you'd have to go back again — what I hate to think of — is rob your reserves."
The budget is expected to be before city council in late December. Should the city reject the proposed budget, it would be back to the drawing board for the EWSWA administration.