While results of the 2018 municipal election will be known the night October 22, the current city council will remain in place until the end of November.
Windsor's Chief Administrative Officer, Onorio Colucci, says this transition period creates a unique situation.
Colucci says council's authority will be determined by the results of the election — meaning a majority of current council members need to return to avoid lame duck status.
He says that can be reached in a couple of different ways.
"Before the election, if a number of councillors choose not to run. If that's not the case, after the election it may be that there's a majority of councillors that weren't on this council that are elected," says Colucci.
A lame duck council has some decision making power, but it will be limited.
"Council cannot vote to spend an amount greater than $50,000 that was not previously included in the budget," says Colucci. "There's some other provisions, for example, making changes to staffing at the senior level."
The current council is scheduled to meet November 5 and 19.
The new council will be sworn in at its inaugural meeting December 3.