Meeting our Job Creation, Accountability
and Infrastructure Improvement Needs
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Job Creation
In recent years, Windsor has experienced tough economic times and high unemployment. Providing an economic environment conducive to doing business is the best way to capitalize on Windsor’s advantages and present opportunities for growth in current and future commercial activity. Reducing the cost of doing business, cutting red tape, training and working with business will provide Windsor with the footprint necessary to champion and sustain long-term growth and investment.
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Lowering the Cost of Doing Business
Goal: Create jobs by providing financial relief to businesses that promote growth, and ensure that our development fees are competitive with those of surrounding municipalities.
Background:
Though Windsor’s development charges are below the provincial average they are greater than many other municipalities in the region. Development fees can be a hindrance to growth in the city and the regional differences in development charges can be a factor in a developer selecting a location other than Windsor.
Reducing municipal expenses incurred by businesses allows them to spend more of their revenue on expanding their operations and increasing the number of jobs within our city. Lowering financial costs, such as development fees on new buildings and licensing fees, makes Windsor more appealing to businesses and promotes growth.
While the City currently has a Community Improvement Plan which incentivises large businesses undertaking upgrades that will result in a significant increase in jobs, studies show that 65% of new jobs are created by small businesses. Creating financial incentives for businesses, of all sizes, to expand is essential for the growth of our city. Without this funding, small and medium businesses are at risk of receiving inadequate assistance.
Vision • Action • Results
- Reduce development fees to be competitive with surrounding municipalities without raising municipal tax rates. The short term loss of development fees will be compensated by long term gains in greater economic activity in the city, such as an increased tax base, increased employment opportunities, and greater economic prosperity for local residents.
- Reduce business application and licensing fees.
- Expand the city’s Community Improvement Plan to include all sectors and all forms of business. In so doing, all businesses would be eligible to receive grants from the municipality for creating jobs, and businesses that expanded their facilities would receive property tax credits on their expansions for a number of years. The enhanced CIP will dramatically reduce the cost of expanding existing businesses, thereby increasing jobs within our community.
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Moving Businesses Forward
Goal: Increase efficiencies and delivery of municipal services to business to bring greater economic opportunity and prosperity to our city.
Background:
One of the challenges facing new and expanding businesses is the length of time required to process municipal permits and licences. Long wait times are an impediment to business and are a roadblock to the creation of jobs in our city. The faster a business application is processed by the City, the faster we can realize job opportunities and job creation within our community. Greater efficiencies and service delivery also make the city a more attractive place in which to do business.
Vision • Action • Results
- Improve current city application processes by enabling online submissions of permits, licences and other regulatory requirements.
- Accelerate and optimize service time for routine permits, licences and applications.
- Help enterprises, entrepreneurial and the small business community navigate City regulations, policies and procedures and respond to their needs.
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Connecting Business and the Community
Goal: Improve accessibility to those seeking employment.
Background:
While unemployment is high in our city, there are still businesses with critical labour shortages. One of the difficulties in seeking employment is knowing where to look to find available work. Today, social media and smart-phones are able to connect us faster than ever and can be used to connect job seekers with employers. These initiatives have successfully matched candidates with hundreds of thousands of jobs in a fast, efficient and convenient manner and have proven effective in other North-American cities.
Vision • Action • Results
- Launch an online jobs platform and match job seekers with growing businesses in Windsor.
- Forge public-private partnerships to complement and maximize online job creation initiatives.
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Leading By Example
Goal: Provide opportunities for young professionals to develop their careers and gain valuable work experience.
Background:
One of the greatest concerns in our city is the fact that many youth and graduating students need to relocate to find jobs in their fields. Keeping our families and communities together is important for our quality of life and the long term health and vitality of our city. Providing opportunities for professional development in Windsor allows our recent graduates to harness the skills they need; gain first-hand on-the-job experience; and prepares them for a successful future.
The City’s Summer Student Lottery Program provides temporary employment to post-secondary students enabling them to gain meaningful work experience. Windsor needs to recognize the need to and value of educating our youth and providing them with professional skills and experience for the future.
Vision • Action • Results
- Provide our youth with career-related skills by implementing opportunities to shadow municipal professionals. In so doing, presenting invaluable experiences that bring our community closer and prepare our youth for tomorrow.
- Collaborate with the University and College to create a mentorship program within the municipality that broadens the students’ horizons and provides experiential learning opportunities.
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Cutting Utility Costs
Goal: Reduce the cost of utilities thereby providing financial relief to residents and businesses.
Background:
The high cost of utilities in Windsor is a major concern for residents and businesses alike. According to a recent productivity report by the Pacific Economics Group, EnWin is one of the 10 most unproductive local distribution corporations in all of Ontario and its costs are almost 20% higher than those of a typical Ontario distributor. Cutting costs and improving efficiency will allow for reductions in charges to consumers and lower utility bills for all of Windsor.
The mayor is often a member of the utility boards, and is paid approximately $60,000 annually. I pledge to waive my salary from these boards until EnWin’s portion of the electricity bill is lowered by 10%. The reduction in expenditures can be achieved through identifying efficiencies, cost containment strategies and by trimming expenditures. Additionally, a value-for-money audit will be completed on EnWin which will assist in developing strategies for realizing cost savings. I want the people of Windsor to know that I’m serious about my commitment to bringing change to this city and won’t rest until our goals are achieved.
Vision • Action • Results
- Work to reduce EnWin’s costs by 10% and lower your utility bill.
- Perform a value-for-money audit on EnWin.
- Waive my salary from the utility boards until we achieve our goal.
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Taxes
Goal: Present a budget that is balanced and disciplined.
Background:
My platform addresses the critical needs of the citizens of Windsor as communicated to me by the thousands of residents, business owners and employees I have met. These goals can be achieved within the current budget through reprioritizing resources and expenditures to more urgent needs. Over the past few years tens of millions of dollars have been spent on some very large projects. Moving forward we’re going to ensure that those hard-earned tax dollars are spent on priorities identified by taxpayers and residents. Many residents are struggling to make ends meet and are living within their means. It is important that the municipality does so as well.
Vision • Action • Results
- Maintain essential programs and services.
- Prioritize budget to meet infrastructure needs.
- Prioritize budget to meet quality of life needs.
- Hold the line on taxes.
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Transparency and Accountability
Many in Windsor are left with questions regarding how their city uses their tax dollars and manages city-owned entities. Windsor needs a mayor who will champion transparency and welcome open and frank discussions on the operations of city hall. These corporations are owned by the city and we have a duty to the taxpayers and residents of Windsor to communicate adequately regarding their operations.
Increasing Accountability and Access to Information
Goal: Make sure that the residents of Windsor can trust their municipality is working for them.
Background:
Windsor’s Auditor General was removed in 2012. Many in Windsor question why such an important position was removed and how this affects city hall’s accountability. Windsor needs accountable administration to prevent waste, ensure accountability, and ensure that taxpayer money is spent responsibly.
The people of Windsor have expressed a great deal of support for a value-for-money audit of EnWin to identify inefficiencies and lower costs. The city has budgeted a minimum of $300,000 to hire an audit firm to report on areas identified by Council and Administration. However, this audit is not a value-for-money audit. The report on EnWin only considered dividends to the city, executive credit card use, executive and board compensation, and board and committee attendance – nothing more. This is not the value-for-money audit that the people of Windsor are calling for. The city’s plan is to have the audit firm consider certain aspects of EnWin’s operations and this will occur in 2015/2016. Windsorites have voiced their need for a value-for-money audit to find the real inefficiencies at EnWin and the reasons for high utility costs.
Vision • Action • Results
- Restore the independent Office of the Auditor General and bring accountability back to city hall.
- Perform and independent value-for-money audit of EnWin.
- Provide more access and explanation on the operation of city-owned corporations and entities.
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Infrastructure Improvements
Windsor needs a mayor who recognizes the needs of our city. Our infrastructure like roads and sewers − are vitally important to our quality of life.
Make Roads and Sewers a Priority
Goal: Invest in improving our city’s roads and sewer infrastructure.
Background:
Our roads and sewers are crumbling across the city. Windsor needs to go back to basics and prioritize its failing infrastructure. These are problems that every ward is facing and we need to ensure the city is taking care of the needs of all of its residents and taxpayers.
Vision • Action • Results
- Accelerate sewer expenditures by $20 million, $10 million per year over the next two years, over and above the amounts allocated in the 5 Year Capital Budget Plan. This will not require any new funding as it will come from existing uncommitted amounts in the 5 Year Capital Budget Plan and the 2015 budget.
- Allocate $2 million annually to each of the 10 wards to address failing sewers and roads. The infrastructure rehabilitation will be identified by the Office of the City Engineer in consultation with ward constituents and will only be available seriously deficient infrastructure requiring immediate improvement. This measure is to prioritize important issues for residents; ensure that no area of the city is left behind in infrastructure improvement; and stimulate growth and jobs through accelerating infrastructure development.
These enhancements will not require any additional funding as the allocation will come from existing budgeted amounts. These measures are to ensure that all areas of the city benefit from infrastructure improvements.
