Property owners in the City of Windsor may be getting a break from what was previously proposed as a double-digit tax increase.
The 2025 budget process is well underway, and administrators have so far found ways to reduce a proposed increase from 12.9 per cent, to 7.37 per cent.
Commissioner of Finance and City Treasurer Janice Guthrie told WindsorNewsToday.ca that they began by looking at ways that money could be saved now without affecting the current level of service. A big part of that involved carefully choosing requests made by department heads.
"We've done a very thorough review of those service enhancements that departments have brought forward, and we've reduced that from a proposed increase of about $8-million, down to about a $1-million," said Guthrie.
Guthrie added that the priority is to protect existing service levels before the City considers enhancements.
Development throughout the City also factored into the budget process, in the form of potential tax revenue streams.
"We've taken a look at where we are halfway through the year, and we were able to estimate what that means in terms of additional property taxes coming in that can help offset the cost of services without impacting existing taxpayers," said Guthrie.
Three City Council committees have been working for several weeks on reviewing budget material and identifying where savings could be found or revenue could be increased. Input has also been gathered from residents and business owners at events such as the annual ward meetings.
Building applications, permits, and development charges continue to trend upward. However, other revenue streams like dividends from Caesars Windsor and the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel are still below pre-pandemic levels.
Mayor Drew Dilkens is required to present the 2025 draft budget to City Council no later than February 1, 2025. Councillors will then have 30 days from receipt to examine the draft and suggest further changes.
-with files from Adelle Loiselle and Maureen Revait