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Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens says he’ll recognize council’s determination on brandnew plans to restore downtown — together with his proposal to pay for it via reopening town’s finances.
In an interview on Friday, Dilkens instructed the Superstar he’ll now not veto any council-approved amendments to a mayoral determination at the topic excused previous this age, even if he has the facility to take action underneath Ontario’s ‘strong mayor’ regulation.
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The mayoral determination from Dilkens proposes expanding Windsor’s running finances via kind of $3.2 million, which would require an additional 0.7 in step with cent quality tax hike.
Council will make a decision on Might 13 whether or not to endorse ‘Strengthen the Core,” the multi-part downtown revitalization plan created by hired consultant StrategyCorp. Council will also decide whether to expand hours of service at the Housing and Homelessness Help Hub and expand the Windsor Police Service presence in the core, among other things.
Dilkens said it’s his “statutory obligation” underneath adjustments to the Municipal Employment — Invoice 3, the Robust Mayors, Development Houses Employment, 2022 — in order ahead any mid-year finances amendments thru a mayoral determination. The Municipal Employment now offers ‘strong’ mayors the accountability to desk municipal budgets and produce ahead any amendments.
“If this matter had been ready in time for budget, which was produced in December of last year, and in time for debate in January of 2024, then we wouldn’t have had to have a mid-term budget amendment,” Dilkens mentioned.
“I wasn’t going to put money in (the budget) for a plan that wasn’t yet prepared. I needed it to be ready before I even considered adding it to the budget.
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“Now, because it (the downtown revitalization plan) is ready, I’m required to follow this process.”
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If council comes to a decision to not put in force the ‘Strengthen the Core’ plan, Dilkens mentioned, “I want to know what their solution is to fix the problem that we collectively face.”
Dilkens on Tuesday introduced the ‘Strengthen the Core’ plan all over a media match out of doors town corridor that drew greater than 100 officers and downtown stakeholders. If authorized via council, the plan will see 12 law enforcement officials devoted to the core, a bylaw officer devoted to implementing quality requirements in Ward 3, collaborative efforts to determine a psychological fitness and dependancy disaster centre, extra incentives to replace and assemble downtown houses, and extra.
Beneath provincial regulation, town council can approve amendments to mayoral selections from heads of council with ‘strong’ mayor powers. The mayor can veto council amendments — one thing Dilkens insists he’ll now not do at the downtown factor — and council can override a mayoral veto with a two-thirds majority vote. In Windsor’s case, that will require 8 of the 11 council contributors to agree (the mayor additionally has a vote).
tcampbell@postmedia.com
twitter.com/wstarcampbell
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