The City of Windsor is holding the line on taxes.
Mayor Drew Dilkens announced a proposed zero per cent increase Friday morning that will still see capital investments move forward in 2021.
Key features of the 2021 Operating Budget Include:
He says more than $170-million in capital projects with a focus on roads and sewer improvements will continue as planned.
"They are economic engines and job creators, so we have not scaled back on the capital budget and we've actually added to it because those are important projects and we intend to deliver on them all," he added.
Dilkens says the city created a "lean budget" that works under the assumption the majority of the $38-million in COVID-19 related loses and expenses are recovered by upper levels of government.
"You watch what happens in the federal budget that's coming out very soon and the provincial budget coming in March," he says. "It's the same thing, how do we get more money in capital projects down to the province and the municipal governments because they know they're economic engines and job creators."
Dilkens says the city budgeted for a small contingency, but not enough to cover everything in the event the federal and provincial governments don't come through.
"We would have to consider what projects may be deferred for a year in order to eat that one time deficit that we have," he says. "We hope to never have to get there and I've heard the province also say that's the last thing they want municipalities to do, but it's one of those things that you have to consider."
Dilkens says some projects may also be financed by the city if upper level funding doesn't arrive.
Budget deliberations are set for later this month.