Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens anticipates a lively discussion later this month when the city begins to review the 2026 budget, which includes talks about a proposed fare increase for Transit Windsor.
The public will have the chance to present their views on the budget at the city council meeting on January 12, with potential approval happening two weeks later on January 26.
The suggested fare hike, from $3.75 to $4, could pose challenges for some of the city’s most vulnerable residents. However, Dilkens emphasized that the city is committed to keeping this year’s property tax rate unchanged at zero percent.
“They’re concerned about affordability,” said Dilkens. “They’re concerned about the uncertainty coming at us from across the border in the United States, and they want the city to hold the line on taxes. When you do that, hard decisions have to be made. We have to look at everything. There are no sacred cows.”
Public transit already receives significant taxpayer support, and Dilkens stated that this year’s budget fairly examines how to sustain those services. The budget does not propose any cuts to service; in fact, he noted that Transit Windsor added 20,000 hours of service in 2025.
He described the fare increase as reasonable.
“When you look at transit fares in cities across Ontario, there are some that would be lower than us. There are many that would be higher than us. It puts us in the middle of the pack,” said Dilkens. “We’re just trying to align the revenues with the expenses that we see operating that service.”
With files from Maureen Revait.
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