Windsor mayoral candidate Drew Dilkens is kicking off his campaign for re-election with a pledge to push the Ontario Ministry of Transportation to upload the cost of maintaining the E.C. Row Expressway.
The province downloaded those costs onto the City of Windsor on April 1, 1997. Since then, the city has spent about $7.5-million annually to maintain, upgrade, and clear snow from the expressway.
"Just imagine what an additional $7.5-million per year could deliver for Windsor's capital plan," said Dilkens. "The fact is, that's a rounding error for the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, but a significant opportunity to reprioritize municipal road projects on backlog."
In the past two years, the Ontario government has uploaded responsibility for the Don Valley Parkway in Toronto and Highway 174 in Ottawa.
Despite continued growth across the city and Essex County, is the cost of keeping the E.C. Row driveable is borne solely by Windsor property taxpayers.
"As a matter of basic fairness, we should expect the Government of Ontario to immediately begin discussions to upload E.C. Row," said Dilkens. "This was never a cost that should have been transferred to local government. I plan to take this fight directly to the Premier and Cabinet, and expect them to listen and deliver."
Dilkens is running against ten other candidates for mayor in this October's municipal election. They are: Benjamin Danyluk, Aaron Day, current Ward 1 councillor Fred Francis, Dylon Graves, Tara Grayer, Nick Kolasky, Tristan Ty Morencie, Kat Pasquach, Patrick Sutherland, and Louis Vaupotic.
