A member of Windsor council wants to see what options are available to allow for different levels of user fees and enhanced services as a way to generate revenue for the city.
During Wednesday's corporate and community services committee meeting examining the 2025 operating budget, Ward 3's Renaldo Agostino requested that administration report back on what's being done in other jurisdictions and what can be done here to offer different tiers of user fees or enhanced services.
"For example, I go to the aquatic centre every day, and I hate the fact that I have to take my stuff out of the locker every day and I can't occupy that locker," he says. "Meanwhile, most of those lockers are consistently empty and never used. Is there an option for an extra couple hundred bucks a year so I can rent out that locker for the entire year?"
Agostino's request came after the committee was informed that a review of the preliminary 2025 operating budget conducted by senior city administration resulted in found savings to help reduce a projected down to 7.37 per cent from 12.9 per cent.
The review included revenue increases and revenue opportunities, including a proposed increase in user fees, which resulted in $5 million in additional revenue being found to bring down the estimated increase.
Agostino wants to know if there is an appetite or an opportunity to add more value to some of the city's services.
"By no means do we want to get into the wedding business and compete against the private sector, but with the Civic Esplande being built, is there going to be an opportunity to give options for a smaller outdoor wedding where there is a water feature or a skating rink and there's an opportunity to bring in a little more revenue by doing that?," he says.
Three different committees of city council continue to examine the proposed 2025 operating budget in the search for savings recommendations.
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.