Windsor hears public delegations about proposed budget

Budget delegations took place Monday at Windsor’s City Hall as council prepares for some tough decisions. CTV Windsor’s Bob Bellacicco reports.

Delegates like Terry Fink pleaded their case Monday at Windsor City Hall as council gets set to weigh tough budget choices later this month.

“If you start putting economic barriers that are beyond people’s reach, they will stop,” Fink suggested as the city ponders a six to eight per cent increase in user fees.

Fink asked the city to reconsider the rise in fees feeling it would create barriers for children, adults, and community groups preventing them from participating.

“You can’t raise fees six to eight per cent on an annual basis because it just is accumulating, at some point you won’t be able to afford it,” he said.

Fink was speaking on behalf of the curling community, who are not playing this season. He’s calling for a more modest one to two per cent increase. Fink said a fair increase is needed, especially if the city wants to attract curlers back to the game and not price them out.

“If we put that economic barrier in front of them, they may go ‘well maybe curling wasn’t that important to me, and I’ll save the money and maybe do something else’. We need council to understand that economic barrier,” he said.

Ron Dunn faced council to thank them for considering a per diem increase from $60 to $65 for each resident at Victoria Manor.

“$65 dollars. Great. Appreciate it. Love it,” Dunn said.

“But we need to get to $80 so we’re asking really to have a conversation about how we can tie it to inflation.”

Dunn is the executive director of Victoria Manor and cites rising food, healthcare, and wage costs when explaining the need for help.

With a waiting list, Dunn feels the manor could take 10 people off the streets immediately if there was an increase of subsidized beds. In order to stabilize their facility and provide quality care, he would like the city to consider a $5 increase yearly.

“At least $5 a year, just to get us to a spot where we’re able to provide care that makes me sleep well at night and allows us to feel good about what we’re doing in terms of providing care for very vulnerable people.”

City councillors were all ears when Darcie Renaud shared her thoughts on the school bus extras that were cancelled in last year’s budget.

“We’re talking now, today, they had to take up to three buses just to get to school, some walking over a kilometre and two buses,” said Renaud, who explained what some students are going through since the cancellation of the buses.

She is urging the city to consider reviving the Transit 1000 route.

“I just don’t think it’s reasonable to ask students to spend three hours on transit to get to school,” she said.

In her remarks, Renaud said her group is committed to developing workable funding models for the service and pushing for the school board to step up financially.

“If council answers our plea today, we’re committed to putting that much energy into talking to the school board. If we have to, we’ll do another petition,” she said.

“We’ll hand out flyers at the schools. We knocked on car windows at Massey and Holy Names asking parents to use a QR code to sign petitions. We’re willing to do the exact same thing now.”

Council will deliberate the budget on Jan. 26 and consider amendments.