Windsor passes 2021 budget with zero per cent tax increase

Windsor's 2021 budget has passed with a zero per cent tax increase.

But questions about how nearly $37.7 millioninone-time COVID-19 costs will be covered loomed in the background as councillors voiced their support and praised administrators for their work to hold the line.

"The reality here is we're in a potentially $38 million hole and there's a lot of question marks," said Ward 2 Coun.Fabio Costante.

Councillors voted to support the budgetfollowing a marathon meeting that stretched on for nearly 11 hours.

Itincludes permanent funding for a second street outreach worker, but a motion to add a third person to help the city's most vulnerable find housing failed.

Council also voted unanimously to fund half of a $180,000 pilot project for Route 18connecting the city's east end with St. Clair College.

A partnership with St. Clairis setto beginin fall 2021, when students are expected to return to in-class learning, and is expected to save them anestimated two-hour bus ride

Homelessness and housing dominated the meeting early on, with some councillors sparring with the mayor overhow many outreach workers are needed in the city.

The workers act as first contact for many peopleexperiencing homelessness andhelpconnect them with supports

There are currently five working in Windsor, two of whom are funded by the city.

Delegates saymore outreach workers needed

Ward 3 Coun. Rino Bortolinsaid he's aware of gaps in the evenings, early mornings and on weekends, when workers are not available to respond to calls.

When Ward 9 representative Kieran McKenzie also pressed on gaps in service, Mayor Drew Dilkenssuggested councillors were"raking our administrators through glass to make a political decision."

In response to councillor concerns, city staff saidthey believe the service level is"adequate."

Watch: A day in the life of an outreach worker on the streets of Windsor:

How the City of Windsor's lone homeless outreach coordinator does his job

7 years ago

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Colm Holmes walks through downtown Windsor explaining how he spends his day.

They also notedCOVID-19 has made it difficult to monitor the need in the communityand addedarequest for another outreach worker might be made during next year's budget process if need be.

Delegates, including the executive director of Windsor's downtown BIA, challenged that statement.

"I could not disagree more, or more strongly, said Debi Croucher."If you live in the downtown or own and operate a business in the core, the level in the core is not adequate."

She urged the city to hire two more outreach workers.

Council ultimately voted to spend $69,926 to make its second outreach worker role permanent.

However, a motion from Bortolin to add one more outreach worker failed to carry, with only the Ward 3 councillor voting in favour, along with councillors Chris Holt and McKenzie.

Free menstrual products, climate change also raised

Delegates also called for the city to provide free menstrual products at its facilities and for the city to fund action to fight climate change.

The city declared a climate emergency in November 2019, but delegates pointed out the word"climate" barely appears in the budget.

"Without concrete changes in the way the city allocates its funds that declaration is meaningless," saidLyra Sheldon, with the Windsor Youth Climate Council.

"To create a budget without much emphasis on climate is to ignore the cries of around the world to care about the future."

COVID costs could mean services suffer

The budget actually calls for anincrease of 2.46per cent in spending, but that amount will not be coveredbymunicipal taxpayers.

Instead,it will be paid forby a change the provincial government has made to the Education Levy. That change frees up $10.5 million, enough to coveroff the proposed increases to the budget.

Mayor Dilkens referenced that amount in his remarks before the budget vote, saying the city is spending millions despite the zero per cent tax increase.

He also raised the spectre of a $37.7 million"hole" in COVID-19 costs, which council is looking to the federal and provincial government to cover.

In aletter to Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland dated Feb. 17, the mayoroutlined some of the unique challenges the city faces including the"devastating" impact the pandemic has had on the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel and the city's airport.

"To be able to cover $38 million in costs on our own, City Council would have some difficult decisions to make,"wrote the mayor's chief of staff,Andrew Teliszewsky, in an email on Monday.

"Cuts would need to be considered through both the operating and capital budgets and services would undoubtedly suffer."