What's not in Windsor's budget? Garbage bag tags, more money for 'critical' housing fund, $50K for arts
These are all items city staff pitched but are not part of the proposed 2.99% tax increase
Windsor council has about a week to approve the proposed 2025 city budget that, in its current form, will increase property tax bills by 2.99 per cent.
The average homeowner's tax bill would go up by about $99 to $3,412.54 a year. That's based on a home valued at $163,000: the average assessed value in Windsor.
Each year city staff give senior administration a list of things that could enhance city services or reduce costs by five per cent to keep tax rates at or below the rate of inflation.
This year, those ideas were sent to three committees made up of city councillors, who then recommended ideas to the mayor. It's Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens who ultimately presents back to council the proposed budget.
As the city worked to reduce what was initially projected to be a nearly 13 per cent tax increase, there are items that staff recommended that didn't make it into the budget — but that doesn't mean they won't happen.
The budget needs to be approved before Feb. 3, and council is set to meet on Monday to discuss proposals.
A majority vote of council could add the items to the budget, but the mayor can decide to veto the changes.
In turn, council can override that veto if at least eight members vote against the mayor.
Here are some of the items pitched by city staff not part of the proposed budget.
The first budget increase for arts grants since 2022
City staff pitched adding $50,000 to the city's grant program that twice a year hands out up to $5,000 to people working on creative projects in Windsor.
This money has been used to help people write books, put on musicals, produce albums, organize concerts and art exhibitions.
The current base funding was last increased in 2022 to $118,000 every year, which is awarded by a selected group of volunteer judges to people who apply for the program.
Watch: A city grant helped this art exhibition run in Windsor
"The value of the requests are consistently higher than the amount of funding available for distribution," according to budget documents.
"While it is important that the fund remains a competitive process, there are excellent projects that are coming forward which are currently not possible to fund."
City staff write this program was originally tied to the city's population of 218,000 when it started in 2015. Recent population estimates put Windsor at about 344,000 people.
The 42 per cent increase to the program's budget is not recommended.
It would increase the average property tax bill by 34 cents.
$2.5 million more for a 'critical' program that helps keep people housed
An emergency rental assistance program that city staff say helps 90 per cent of users avoid ending up homeless needs a budget increase to meet demand.
The program covers first and last months' rent to help people living in a shelter or who are homeless secure a rental unit.
It can also be used by people with an eviction notice who are trying to keep their rental.
The program has strict eligibility guidelines based on the size of the family and how much money they make.
"It truly is a homelessness prevention program," said Jennifer Tanner, the city's manager of homeless prevention and supportive housing.
WATCH: This city rental could help you with a rental deposit
The program helped more than 1,000 people last year with an average payment of $2,000, according to budget documents — which calls the program a "critical" tool in preventing homelessness.
Demand and costs have jumped for this program, with 54 per cent more people receiving assistance annually compared to 2021-22 and the average payment up 152 per cent.
That's because rental prices and homelessness are on the rise.
The program will have an online application process next year that should make the system more efficient.
"We do our best to end the year with a balanced budget," Tanner said. "And we got really lucky this year that it looks like we're going to end up with a fairly balanced budget.".
This request would double the current $2 million budget, which staff write in budget documents will run out in four months.
That program is part of the city's nearly $20 million homelessness prevention program that is made up of $16.7 million from the province, $2.43 million from the city and $450,000 from the County of Essex.
There's also $3.3 million from the federal government that is typically used for the Homelessness and Housing Help Hub (H4).
This rental assistance program keeps people out of homeless shelters. Budget documents say shelters cost $23,000 per year, per bedroom.
The increase, which is not part of the proposed budget, would amount to an additional $17.08 per year on the average property tax bill.
$5 tags for extra garbage bags
People in Windsor will start sorting their waste into compost bins by October this year, which is expected to add an additional $2 million to the city's budget.
The annual cost could hit $10 million when the program is in place for an entire year, in 2026.
City staff have recommended that council approve a $5 charge for any additional bags of garbage that a house needs collected beyond the first pail in 2025.
But the bag tag program is not something that council is being asked to approve as part of the budget process.
These programs are already in cities like London, Kingston, the Niagara Region and Sudbury.
A staff report said that the average home throws out 1.29 pails of trash each collection cycle.
The $5 bag tag would bring in about $2 million each year, with staff estimating that 75 per cent of homes would need to buy a tag once a month before organic waste collection starts in October.
This program would cost people money for the tags they use but the revenue would bring the average property tax bill down by $13.87.