Budget deliberations are about to get underway at the City of Windsor and the draft budget is starting with a 3.3 per cent increase.
Mayor Drew Dilkens expects that number to come down during deliberations and could see it being 2 per cent or less, which is the rate of inflation when it's all said and done.
The city said the proposed tax hike means an extra $90 this year on a $150,000 dollar home. The average price of a home in Windsor last month was around $322,000, according to the Windsor-Essex County Association of Realtors.
Windsor property taxes went up 0.9 per cent last year. Council shaved the increase down from a proposed 2.6 per cent hike.
Mayor Dilkens said the budget includes extra money for roads, $9.6 million more to reduce or prevent basement flooding, an additional $5.5 million for police, and an extra $7 million for salaries and benefits.
"There's new money in the budget for the widening of Banwell Road, there's new money for the widening of Dominion Road from Northwood to Totten...there's money to complete the last section of Ypres from Forest to Walker... and there's money to widen Provincial Road from Cabana to Walker," said Dilkens.
The mayor also said the city needs a branding makeover to attract new workers.
"It's not about jobs not being here, it's about making sure we get the talent to support employers," added Dilkens.
Dilkens said Windsor is $719 below the provincial average when it comes to yearly property taxes.
Budget deliberations in Windsor are April 1 and 2 starting at 1 p.m. each day.
Budget documents will be available on the city's website as of noon March 11.