The mayor of Windsor has shared the city's deficit with the Ontario Legislative Assembly’s Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs.
Drew Dilkens represented the city Tuesday morning during a virtual committee meeting and highlighted the need for financial assistance from the upper levels of government.
He talked about the city's projected $30-million budget deficit this year due to COVID-19.
"I wanted to under score there that the need is real and this is not some sort of political puffery that the need is real and we need a resolution by the end of the year because we're getting into our budget process already for 2021 and we need to know what kind of deficit that we're looking at moving forward," says Dilkens.
Dilkens says without assistance, projected tax increases will be high for municipalities and that's not realistic.
"When you look at our particular situation, it would be about a seven and a half tax increase which is completely unsustainable," says Dilkens. "It's not something we could sustain at all and so I think everyone knows that and most municipalities are in the same boat that we can't weather this storm alone and that our cost of borrowing is the highest of all three governments."
He says he was pleased with the discussion.
"I think there were good questions asked by members of all parties trying to understand the situation here specifically in the City of Windsor but that municipalities across the province face and hopefully as they move forward with their consideration for funding municipalities that this plays some role in their decision making to help support us," says Dilkens.
The committee consists of members from all parties.
Windsor-Tecumseh MPP Percy Hatfield along with Windsor West MPP Lisa Gretzky sit on the standing committee.
They both asked the mayor questions about the outbreak in the agri-food sector.