Windsor mayor Drew Dilkens says the knife would have to go pretty deep to get to a tax increase of just over two per cent.
The mayor told AM800's The Morning Drive, the proposal put forward by councillor Fred Francis would require some drastic cuts.
"I don't anticipate that council wants to slash and burn in this budget but the proposals put forward by councillor Francis would require some dramatic cuts in order to achieve a goal of getting two per cent," says Dilkens.
As AM800 news reported on Wednesday, Francis' proposal takes aim at over $22-million in new spending in the proposed 2023 Operating Budget.
Francis' plan calls for the elimination of nearly $1-million in spending for new employee hires, cutting an over $900,000 funding request from Transit Windsor in half, and a one year suspension of the Asset Management Tax, with the suspension alone resulting in over $5-million in savings.
Dilkens says the city does not want to add to the inflationary pressures of the public but still has services it has to deliver.
"For us, it's about trying to be fair and balanced here and I think we're going to get this budget around the four and a half per cent mark without cutting any services," says Dilkens.
When the 2023 draft budget was first released it called for a 5.23 per cent tax increase for ratepayers.
The Operating Budget Review Committee (OBRC), chaired by councillor Francis, found $2.8-million in saving measures and brought the proposed increase down to 4.59 per cent.
But in mid-March, the city released an updated 2023 draft budget which included a proposed tax levy increase of 5.02 per cent due to inflation and additional cost pressures.
Council meets on Monday, April 3, at 10 a.m. to consider the 2023 operating and capital budgets.