A Windsor city councillor is speaking out against the mayor's use of a veto to overturn council’s direction on the Tunnel Bus service.
On Thursday, mayor Drew Dilkens cited the tunnel bus as being an economic development engine for the City of Detroit but that the City of Windsor sees almost no economic activity originating from Detroit through this service.
He also argued that he can’t justify funding the cross-border service in the face of Trump’s tariff threat.
Speaking on AM800's The Dan MacDonald Show, ward 9 councillor Kieran McKenzie called the move undemocratic.
"I heard the mayor earlier talking about he's just using the tools that have been afforded to him through the provincial legislature," he said. "It doesn't mean he has to use them, and I think it's a mistake. I've been saying all along that my hope is that they'll never be leveraged in our community, and unfortunately on a really critical issue, at a critical moment, they are being leveraged, and I think it's a significant and massive mistake."
He says it's important to take into account the advocacy, friendship and the relationship that has been built for decades with those across the river.
"Taking a drastic step like eliminating a critical service that connects Windsor and Detroit, the tunnel bus, is a rash decision in my opinion," McKenzie said. "One that certainly doesn't help us to get further into a better place on the trade discussion that's happening across North America."
On Jan. 27, city council voted 7-4 not to eliminate the Transit Windsor tunnel bus and special events bus, a move that would have resulted in a $1.4 million cost savings in the budget.
Under Ontario's Strong Mayor powers, Dilkens had 10 days to veto any council amendments.
McKenzie says he hopes the mayor reconsiders.
"Once we eliminate that service, it'll be nearly impossible to bring it back," he said. "We have other options that we can explore. I would be open, and I think a majority of council would be open to exploring what those options are. Deeper partnerships with the United States, perhaps there's a suspension of the service that could be considered while the trade negotiation and discussion is still ongoing and we don't have any certainty with what will happen."
Council now has until Feb. 21, to overturn the mayor's decision, a move that would require two-thirds of the council, or eight votes, going against the veto.
If council chooses not to vote on the veto, the mayor's decision would stand.
-With files from AM800's Rusty Thomson