Windsor’s incoming mayor says the city is facing budget pressures before the new council has even been sworn in. Mayor-elect Fred Francis said he has already met with the city’s CAO and clerk as the transition gets underway. Francis said one of those early discussions with the corporate leadership team focused on what council could soon be facing financially. “They did warn me that the numbers are higher than perhaps in a normal year and that was concerning to me. We’ll have meetings further on that next week. But unfortunately my hands are tied until Nov. 15 until I become mayor,” Francis said. He said campaign commitments will have to be balanced against the city’s financial reality. “We’ll do everything we can in this year, but obviously, with the tight transition period and the tight timelines, this budget is not really mine. I’m looking forward to the next budget being mostly mine and city council’s, but this is something we are somewhat inheriting,” Francis said. “We’ll do what we can and we’ll factor in our priorities and we’ll move forward with our platforms and our priorities as much as we can.” Francis said residents can expect action once the new term begins. “We will go to work immediately and do what we can to ensure that any increase is reasonable and certainly affordable to the taxpayers,” he said. The inaugural meeting of council will be held Nov. 16. Windsor’s 2027 budget must be submitted by Feb. 1, 2027.
