Windsor City Hall, December 2019. (Photo by Maureen Revait) Windsor City Hall, December 2019. (Photo by Maureen Revait)
Windsor

Windsor calls for more senior government help as it prepares to deliberate budget

The City of Windsor expects to incur $25-million in COVID-19 costs unless the provincial and federal governments step in with financial assistance.

Like it did last year, it has not included that money in this year's budget, hoping senior governments will come through. It did cover $38-million in pandemic-related expenses in 2021.

An agreement was reached in September 2020 with the province to help support transit, municipal and social services. The city is now calling for a "focused, narrow fund for 2022 -- to help communities like Windsor manage the continued and ongoing financial pressures associated with the COVID-19 pandemic."

"Municipalities continue to face unprecedented financial challenges and pressures as a result of the prolonged impacts of the pandemic," said City Treasurer Joe Mancina. "It is vitally important that senior levels of government continue to provide the necessary financial supports to assist cities in 2022 and beyond."

City councillors start deliberations on December 13, and so far, the budget calls for a 1.99 per cent increase in property taxes. If the federal and provincial governments don't provide financial support, that increase could be more like 7 per cent.

Related story: Budget proposes Transit Windsor investments, is it enough?

Ongoing costs related to the pandemic include $5-million to subsidize Transit Windsor. It is still operating at half of its pre-pandemic ridership. Another $4-million went to enhanced cleaning and screening at municipal facilities, while $1-million funded a temporary shelter for those experiencing homelessness at the downtown aquatic centre and the 4H Centre. The city also spent $7-million in recreation services and $300,000 to hire additional staff.

At the same time, the city has lost $6.8-million in revenues from the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel, Caesars Windsor, and YQG Airport. Another $1-million in losses comes from lower parking revenues.

The city also waived fees for bars and restaurants to expand patios and rents at city facilities. It offered property tax deferrals for property owners, redeployed hundreds of city workers to staff the mass vaccination centre at Devonshire Mall and elsewhere, and established an isolation and recovery centre for temporary foreign workers from farms in Essex County.

"The City of Windsor is unique across municipalities. No other community owns an airport and an international border tunnel," said Mayor Drew Dilkens. "We're not asking for a hand-out from Queen's Park or Ottawa, just the opportunity to apply for relief, as we did last fall. Costs related to managing the healthcare crisis shouldn't fall to the property taxpayer alone."

The city's 2022 budget also includes investments for public infrastructure, affordable housing, transit, parks and recreation services.

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