In a very close vote, Essex County Council has approved to reverse the budget cut decision for Invest Windsor-Essex.
Council met Wednesday evening with a notice of motion presented by deputy warden Joe Bachetti to reconsider and rescind the council decision to cut the 2025 funding by 15 per cent.
After a lengthy discussion, council voted 8-6 in favour to reverse the decision, and approve the original proposed funding for 2025 of $1,122,060.
Last November, during budget deliberations, County Council had voted 8-6 in favour of cutting IWE's budget by $168,000.
The County and the City of Windsor both provide funding to IWE in a matching per capita funding model, meaning the city would cut funding if the county did. Bachetti and County Warden Hilda MacDonald confirmed during Wednesday's meeting that Windsor mayor Drew Dilkens has plans to present to council a motion to match the original funding and no longer make any cuts for 2025.
Kirk Walstedt, Lakeshore's deputy mayor, was opposed and says he wasn't happy with the meeting that Lakeshore had with IWE.
"I walked away with more questions then I did originally, and felt more positive for what we'd done to maybe shake things up a bit, and to get some results. So, we heard absolutely nothing other than that they needed the money, and I found out a lot more about Invest Windsor-Essex that made me even more pleased with the decision I made not to support it."
Essex mayor Sherry Bondy was opposed and says the cuts could've been more than 15 per cent.
"The concept of Invest Windsor-Essex, I'll give them that, it's very challenging, I wouldn't want to be in their shoes. The concept is great, like the concept of a car, it's great to have a car, we want this machine to work, but you also have to have the right car for the job. And I'm just not sure with the current players if this is going to get the outcome that we need."
Rob Shepley, Essex's deputy mayor, was also opposed and says he wants to see more action from IWE.
"We did have a meeting with them after the fact and there was no material change in anything for me to change my vote, in fact, I left the meeting that I had with Invest Windsor-Essex thinking that we probably didn't take enough. I want to see some action."
Meanwhile, Tecumseh mayor Gary McNamara was in support and says there's no denying IWE has done a good job.
"We've had about $10-billion or $12-billion worth of investment in our region. Yeah, they might say it's all in Windsor, or it's here or there, we all benefit from it. Don't kid yourself. It's jobs that are being created by our people. I think the message that we've sent them was we want you to be a little bit more open to the funders."
Michael Prue, Amherstburg's mayor, was in support and says in light of recent changes between the U.S. and Canada, there needs to be someone bringing businesses to the region.
"We're going to have to look inward and make sure that what we are getting from Invest Windsor-Essex is that the businesses that could go anywhere in Ontario, or anywhere in Canada, choose us. We are going to suffer more than any other place in Canada."
Amherstburg deputy mayor Chris Gibb was also in support and says IWE has done a lot for Amherstburg.
"We see value in our community because we go out and leverage what they have to offer. We don't want for them to come to us."
Invest Windsor-Essex attracts companies to the region, retains and helps company start ups and expand companies.
County administration stated during Wednesday's meeting that Invest Windsor-Essex has made large strides in formalizing their strategic plan, along with a funding model, which is expected to be presented to council in mid-2025.
Those in favour include: Amherstburg mayor Michael Prue, Amherstburg deputy mayor Chris Gibb, Tecumseh mayor Gary McNamara, Tecumseh deputy mayor and county deputy warden Joe Bachetti, LaSalle mayor Crystal Meloche, LaSalle deputy mayor Michael Akpata, Leamington mayor and county warden Hilda MacDonald, and Leamington deputy mayor Larry Verbeke.
Opposed include: Kingsville deputy mayor Kimberly DeYong, Kingsville councillor Tony Gaffan (in for Kingsville mayor Dennis Rogers), Lakeshore mayor Tracey Bailey, Lakeshore deputy mayor Kirk Walstedt, Essex mayor Sherry Bondy, and Essex deputy mayor Rob Shepley.