Drew Dilkens is vowing to use Strong Mayor Powers to reject any effort to allow four residential units as-of-right, if he’s re-elected mayor of Windsor.
During a news conference Monday, Dilkens called on voters to ask the candidates for city council about where they stand on the issue of allowing four residential units as-of-right which would allow for the construction of four-plex residential units anywhere in the city.
“You choose whoever you want to vote for, but please ask the question and know who’s going to have your back when this issue comes forward in the next term of city council with progressive, new urbanists trying to push their agenda forward on you. I will have your back and will defeat any attempt to see four units as-of-right brought into the city of Windsor,” he says.
Dilkens is raising the issue due to the changeover happening around the city council table with four incumbents not seeking re-election-Ward 4 Councillor Mark McKenzie, Ward 5 Councillor Ed Sleiman, Ward 6 Councillor Jo-Anne Gignac, and Ward 1 Councillor Fred Francis, who is running for mayor.
He’s concerned there are candidates who will try to push for a change on the issue.
Council rejected a move to allow four residential units as-of-right anywhere in the city even though it meant missing out on millions of dollars in federal funding from the Housing Accelerator Fund, as the city wanted more say over where certain developments were allowed and if the infrastructure could handle it.
Dilkens says he wants residents to know that they can count on him to use Strong Mayor Powers to defeat any attempt to bring four units-as-of-right to the next city council.
“I will protect your largest investment and your neighbourhood and make sure if that attempt comes to our city council table, I would use Strong Mayor Powers to defeat any attempt to put four-units as-of-right into place,” he says.
Dilkens says he doesn’t object to four-plexes; he just likes the process that they have today that provides for public input.
“That provides for consultation and that provides for a planning review of the neighbourhoods where the four-plexes are proposed to make sure they’re appropriate for those neighbourhoods. We’re talking about people’s largest investment, their home. We’re talking about the neighbourhoods where they’re raising their families, that they purchased those homes with the understanding that this was the neighbourhood and the type of neighbourhood they wanted to live in,” he says.
In March 2026, Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti used his strong mayor powers to veto a council decision to change the city’s official plan and zoning bylaws that would have allowed up to four residential units as-of-right on residential lots citywide.
The 11 candidates running for Windsor mayor are Benjamin Danyluk, Aaron Day, Dilkens (incumbent), Francis, Dylon Graves, Tara Grayer, Nick Kolasky, Tristan Ty Morencie, Kat Pasquach, Patrick Sutherland, and Louis Vaupotic.
The municipal election is set to take place October 26.