For the first time in eight years, City of Windsor residents will see a property tax levy increase.
After an 11-hour budget meeting, Windsor City Council approved a 1.73% tax levy increase. That is down from 2.6% that was proposed in the beginning. The increase represents a $48 increase to the property taxes of an average $150,000 home.
"It's less than the rate of inflation which is 1.8%, so at the end of the day, I think it's very positive news for the year that we actually had to increase taxes in the City of Windsor," says Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens.
Two councillors, Joanne Gignac and Fred Francis, opposed the budget increase. They both wanted to see something closer to 1%.
"I thought it would be more practical if we came in around 1.3 - 1.2%. You're looking at hundreds of thousands of dollars based on new expenditures, on creating new positions. That's not something I agree with," says Francis.
New staff positions include: three positions within the facilities staffing master plan, an additional building inspector and a quality control person for road projects.
Some service enhancements include the addition of a bulk garbage pick-up program, and a return of the rat abatement program.
"Things that residents will remember, things like the rat program, the bulk item pick-up, those two combined were only $57,000 in this $318-million budget, but those are the types of things that make differences in the neighbourhoods," says Councillor Rino Bortolin.
The five-year capital budget was also approved, but not without debate over the $10-million enhanced capital budget. It includes projects from all ten wards and were proposed by councillors. Projects include a basketball court in Forest Glade, and Phase 1 of the Wyandotte Town Centre BIA streetscaping plan.
