Windsor's budget process has received a below average ranking by the C.D Howe Institute.
In the 2017 edition of its annual municipal fiscal accountability report card, the C.D Howe Institute gave Windsor a C-.
Associate Director of Research Ben Dachis says the low ranking was due to the timing of when the city approves the budget and its fundamental approach in budgeting.
"It approves its budget and releases its financial statement exceptionally late," says Dachis. "Windsor is one of the few cities that we analyze that approves its budget into the new year."
He points out that most major cities approve their budgets around this time or in December.
He also points out that Windsor uses a "cash accounting" process when it is better to use an approach similar to mortgaging called 'accrual accounting' as it is better to plan long term projects using the "accrual accounting" method.
Although Windsor had eight years with a tax freeze, Dachis says the report looks at the process, not the outcome of the budget. The tax freeze came to an end in the 2017 budget, when city council approved a 1.73% budget increase.
Budget deliberations in Windsor are set to begin January 15 and will take place over a two day period, instead of one.