A member of city council would like to see a portfolio system established and headed up by members of council to provide a more focused approach to issues in Windsor.
Ward 1 councillor Fred Francis envisions a scenario where a councillor or group of councillors would oversee a system similar to the provincial and federal level where ministers are responsible for specific issues, such as finance, housing, homelessness, garbage collection or even infrastructure.
Francis believes it would allow councillors to get involved with portfolios they are passionate or have expertise about, at the same time working with public volunteers at the committee level to bring ideas and motions forward that will be passed successfully by council.
"The structure would be formalized in a similar way at the provincial and federal government, where all city departments and city resources are working with the portfolio head," he says. "The minister, for a lack of a better term, at the municipal level. That councillor now has the full resources of city council behind them."
He also hopes it would provide a certain level of continuity to ongoing issues.
The city currently has three standing committees chaired by members of council, with reports from multiple committees eventually funnelled to one of three standing committees, then the issues go to the full council for discussion or final approval.
This idea would would break up the standing committees and be replaced by portfolio heads to address specific issues.
Francis says right now what you see is councillors trying to piece meal partnerships or putting the onus on themselves to bring everyone together, which is not easy at times.
"If there is a formal structure and a portfolio and we know this councillor is heading up this portfolio, now we know which departments are working with them, who the people are, and not only that from city hall, but who are the volunteers," he says. "Who wants to be involved in that portfolio, be it finance, be it homelessness and housing, be it parks and recreation."
Francis says you would be streamlining the process under a portfolio.
"It's a matter of empowering everyone and getting everyone to be included in the process. Including members of the community who are not elected officials but they're volunteering their time, expertise, and their energy to make things better in a particular area, be it homelessness and housing, parks and recreation, or if someone has a particular interest in the tax system," he says.
Francis raised the idea during a strategic session of council in early August, and while nothing came of the idea then, he's not ready to give up on it.