There's progress in the work to reduce a double-digit tax increase in the City of Windsor's 2025 draft budget.
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens says the estimated increase now sits at around 5.5 per cent.
In September, Dilkens announced that the 2025 preliminary budget estimate, without reductions, would result in a tax increase of 12.9 percent.
The ten members of council have been meeting since late September as part of three different committees to search for operational and service-level savings in the city's operating budget for next year.
One committee has been examining elements under the corporate and community services umbrella; the next is focused on economic development and engineering; and the third continues to examine services under finance and social services.
Each committee has been working alongside city commissioners and other members of administration.
Dilkens says they're still meeting to get that number even lower.
"I don't think it will end at 5.5 per cent, we're going to get it lower. We're making great progress at this point in time. I want to thank all my colleagues on the city council for the work they're doing on their committees. Everyone is really rowing in the same direction, trying to get the number to a good level," he says.
Dilkens says no one wants to lose anything.
"When you have a billion-dollar budget and you're trying to, I think we need to find another $12 million in savings to bring it down; we're really going to have to make some difficult choices to even get to three per cent," he says.
The city has pointed to extraordinary budgetary pressures for the estimated increase, driven primarily by factors outside of the corporation's control, including contractual obligations, legislated requirements, and inflationary pressures.
On Sept. 11, the Dilkens announced a corporate hiring freeze for all permanent, full-time positions at the City of Windsor ahead of the budget process.
The mayor must present the proposed budget by Feb. 1, 2025, under Ontario's Strong Mayor Powers, at which point council will have 30 days to review and make any recommendations for change.
The 2024 budget was passed with a 3.91 percent property tax increase; however, the tax rate was increased to 4.61 percent in May 2024 after the mayor reopened the budget as $3.2 million more in spending was approved to support the Strengthen the Core—Downtown Windsor Revitalization plan.