5.2% tax increase proposed for Windsorites: What you need to know about the 2023 budget

2023 Windsor budget calls for 5.2% tax increase Michelle Maluske breaks down city hall’s 2023 budget documents recommending a tax increase of 5.2%.

Here’s what you need to know about how city hall wants to spend your money and new revenue they want to collect.

The documents for the city’s 2023 budget are now available online, well in advance of deliberations currently slated for April.

“The budget is certainly complex, it’s very intricate,” says Joe Mancina chief financial officer for the City of Windsor.

Mancina says the 2023 budget debate is different from previous years in that administration has now created an Operating Budget Review Committee (OBRC).

The committee members will pour over the budget documents the week of Jan. 23.

“It does give them an opportunity to delve in a little bit further, in more detail,” said Mancina.

The 65-page Executive Summary calls for a 5.2 per cent tax increase for ratepayers.

“It would be approximately about $160 (more) on an average residential home in the City of Windsor,” noted Mancina.

Mancina adds the 5.2 per cent increase is just a starting point and expects council will work at whittling the number down between now and final budget approvals in April.

Administration has broken the budget into six groups identified by letters.

According to the budget documents, the city needs to collect more than $460 million through property taxes to fund operating needs, requested increases from agencies, boards and committees and previously approved costs.

What Windsor has to pay for:

Mancina says they are items which council has “little or no discretion” to change.

They account for the largest influence on the budget at more than $14 million in expenses.

Where Windsor can get more money:

Highlighted with a “D” in the Executive Summary, administration has a wide range of ideas for bringing in more money.

Administration is recommending:

Highest Priority Issues:

These items are identified with a “B” in the executive summary.

Many of them deal with new employee positions including another 911 operator and 311 call takers. Jobs are also requested for payroll, data analysis, Human Resources, facility supervisors and design standards.

Administration is also recommending the City Hall security job be extended.

This grouping also includes requests to boost trail maintenance, financial analyst support and flood mitigation in parks.

Many departments are also seeking an increase in funds because of inflationary pressures.

Things administration is NOT recommending:

Other worthwhile enhancements (G): 

There are just four line items under this category, most dealing with hiring new staff.

A $544,000 request is for a data and insights division within the Information and Technology Division.

Windsor Fire and Rescue is also asking for new deputy fire chiefs. And Public Works wants one-time funding of more than $264,000 to enhance street sweeping.

Mancina says these are items brought forward that are worth consideration, that administration looked into, but at this time they are not recommending city council move forward with.

What’s next?

The week of Jan. 23 the OBRC will go over the budget documents line by line and consider all categories. They will be able to ask questions of department heads for clarity.

That committee will then make recommendations to administration “that will then form the basis of what we work with and then come back to the full city council for budget deliberations in early April,” says Mancina.

Although the city did offer public consultation on the budget last fall, Mancina says residents can continue to be a part of the process by sending an email to [e-mail] for consideration by the OBRC.

The deadline for those emails is Monday, Jan. 16. The public can also be a part of the full budget debate in April when council will accept delegations before finalizing the budget for 2023.

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