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Resident help: how to get things done at City Hall

Plain steps for common City of Windsor tasks, with links to the official pages. Checked Oct. 17, 2026; rules and fees can change, so the official page is the final word.

File an FOI | Pothole or 311 | Parking ticket | Speak at council | Your ward | Vote Oct. 26

File a freedom-of-information (FOI) request

  1. Decide which records you want and be specific: the topic, the department, and the dates. The City says more detail helps staff find the records.
  2. Fill out the City's FOI request form (PDF), or write a letter that describes the records. Requests fall under Ontario's municipal access law, MFIPPA.
  3. Send it with the mandatory, non-refundable $5 application fee in one of three ways: email a scan or photo of the form to foi@citywindsor.ca and staff will call you to take the $5 by phone; bring it to the Office of the City Clerk, Room 110, 350 City Hall Square West, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. (cash, debit or credit); or mail it with a $5 cheque or money order payable to the City of Windsor to the Freedom of Information Coordinator, Office of the City Clerk, 350 City Hall Square West, Windsor, ON N9A 6S1.
  4. Wait for the decision. For requests submitted after July 1, 2026, the general legal deadline is 45 business days (it was 30 calendar days before). The City can extend the time or charge more fees in some cases, and must tell you if it does.
  5. If you get no answer by the deadline, or you disagree with the decision, a fee or an extension, you can appeal to Ontario's Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC). Since July 1, 2026, you have 30 business days after the City's response to appeal. The IPC appeal fee is $10 for personal information requests and $25 for all other requests.

Official pages:

Report a pothole or another City service issue (311)

  1. For a pothole, use the City's online pothole report. The 311 page also has quick links for road maintenance, streetlights, graffiti, missed garbage, dirty yards and alleys, trees and parks.
  2. Or use 311 Online or the Windsor 311 mobile app, both available 24/7.
  3. Or call 311 in Windsor (519-255-CITY (2489) from outside Windsor), Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., holidays excluded. Phone service is available in over 200 languages.
  4. Emergencies (police, fire, ambulance): call 911, not 311.

Official pages:

Pay or dispute a City parking ticket

  1. Pay online through the City's Ticket Payment page (it links to Paytickets.ca). It can take up to 72 hours for a payment to reach the City.
  2. Pay in person at the Parking Enforcement Office, 1266 McDougall Street, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (debit, Visa, Mastercard or cash), or by mail with a cheque or money order payable to "The City of Windsor" with the penalty number on the front. The payment date is the day the City receives it.
  3. To dispute a penalty notice, the registered owner (or an agent) fills out the Request for Screening form (PDF). A screening officer can affirm, reduce or cancel the penalty.
  4. If you disagree with the screening decision, file a Request for Hearing form (PDF). The hearing officer's decision is final; there is no option to go to court. The forms are accepted by fax, mail, email or in person.
  5. Questions: Parking Enforcement Office, 519-255-6298. Unpaid tickets can be sent to ServiceOntario for plate-renewal denial after the due date.

Official pages:

Register to speak at council (delegation)

  1. Anyone except council members and City-appointed officials can register to speak about an item on a City Council or standing committee agenda.
  2. Find the item on the agenda: City Council Meetings.
  3. Register by noon on the Friday before the meeting: online at MyWindsor delegation request (or without an account), by phone at 519-255-6432 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), or in person at the Office of the City Clerk, Suite 530, 350 City Hall Square West. After the deadline, call the Clerk's office.
  4. You will need your full name, your ward (or the organization you speak for and your title), contact information, and the meeting and item. Your name may become part of the public record.
  5. Delegations have a five-minute limit, and one person should speak for a group. You can also send a written submission; if the Clerk's office gets it by noon the Friday before, it goes to council.

Official pages:

Find your ward and councillor

  1. Find your street on the City's city-wide ward boundaries map (PDF), or open the map for a single ward on the Ward Maps page. Windsor has 10 wards, each with one councillor.
  2. See who represents each ward on the City's Mayor and City Council page.

Official pages:

Vote in the Oct. 26, 2026 municipal election

  1. Check that you are on the voters' list with Online Voter Services.
  2. On Election Day, Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, you can vote at any voting location in your ward from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. See Election Day voting locations. If you are in line before 8 p.m., you can still vote.
  3. The last advance vote is Monday, Oct. 19, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., at Most Precious Blood Parish, 1947 Meldrum Road. See Advance voting; dates and locations can change.
  4. Bring identification that shows your name and qualifying address, even if you did not get a voter card. See ID accepted at the poll.
  5. Eligible voters ride Transit Windsor free when going to vote on Election Day or an advance voting day. See who is on your ballot: Who is Running.

Official pages:

Every link on this page goes to a City of Windsor, Province of Ontario or Information and Privacy Commissioner page and was checked on Oct. 17, 2026. Broken link or out-of-date step? Email windsornewsdesk@gmail.com.