Windsor Administration is recommending a 2.7% property tax increase in the 2017 budget.
If approved without any changes, it would amount to an extra $75 a year for a home assessed at $150,000.
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens says after eight years of tax freezes, another tax freeze would have meant closing community centres or libraries which city council would not approve.
"Freezing taxes is like crack cocaine. People become addicted to it and people expect it year after year and at the end of the day, everyone is looking for their officials to be fair and reasonable," says Dilkens.
Dilkens believes there is more to shave off the budget and he hopes to bring it down to a 2% hike.
The budget includes maintaining current services plus an extra $500,000 in parks and a voucher program for bulk collection.
There is also an increase in the city's monthly parking pass
Windsor Treasurer Joe Mancina, Mayor Drew Dilkens and CAO Onorio Colucci talk to the media about the 2017 budget. December 16, 2016. Photo by Teresinha Medeiros
Dilkens pointed out the city is facing pressures faced by every homeowner in the city, including its hydro bill.
"Provincial hydro costs increasing not withstanding that we are using less energy, those costs are expected to rise by $2-million for the city of Windsor," said Dilkens.
Administration did manage to find about $10-millionin savings from the initial preliminary budget through efficiencies, changes to insurance and some positions at the city will be affected through attrition or not filling in vacancies.
The budget is available for public viewing on its website and city deliberations are set for January 23rd.