Where's my money? Windsor's 2026 budget

Where the City of Windsor's 2026 approved budget goes, using the City's own budget documents. Every figure links to its source.

$510,999,029 net operating budget: the amount raised through property taxes, including the education portion. City of Windsor 2026 Approved Operating Budget, section A and C.
$1,229,177,000 gross operating budget: everything the City spends to run services, including money from provincial and federal grants, user fees and other revenue. City of Windsor 2026 Approved Operating Budget, section A.
$317,264,628 2026 approved capital budget (roads, sewers, buildings and other projects). City of Windsor 2026 Approved Operating Budget, section A.
0% municipal tax levy increase, as approved. City of Windsor news release: 2026 Approved Budget. The total property tax requirement rose 1.20% ($6,042,134) because of new properties added to the tax roll (assessment growth), not a rate increase. City of Windsor 2026 Approved Operating Budget, section C and E.

Where a property tax dollar goes

The City's breakdown of the 2026 net operating budget by service. Each percentage is the share of the $510,999,029 total, shown as cents of each dollar. City of Windsor 2026 Approved Operating Budget, section D.

Service	Of each $1	2026 net budget
Public safety Police services: 23.1¢ ($117,864,804) Fire and rescue: 11.0¢ ($56,373,482) Emergency medical services (EMS): 3.3¢ ($16,678,254)	37.4¢	$190,916,540
Capital project funding Transfer from operating to capital: 9.1¢ ($46,621,525) Asset management plan: 8.1¢ ($41,571,133)	17.3¢	$88,192,659
Public health and social services Housing and homelessness support: 6.0¢ ($30,703,022) Senior and family support programs: 3.1¢ ($15,643,863) Food and social assistance: 1.8¢ ($9,364,081) Local health clinics and disease control: 1.5¢ ($7,914,153)	12.5¢	$63,625,119
Education and libraries Funding for school boards: 10.7¢ ($54,684,477) Public libraries: 1.7¢ ($8,604,704)	12.4¢	$63,289,182
Parks and recreation Parks, playgrounds and green spaces: 5.2¢ ($26,500,880) Sports facilities: 1.1¢ ($5,624,736) Community centres and recreation programs: 0.8¢ ($4,250,970) Cultural events: 0.4¢ ($2,008,037)	7.5¢	$38,384,623
Public works and infrastructure Waste management and recycling: 4.2¢ ($21,217,097) Road maintenance and repair: 2.3¢ ($11,530,833) Engineering services: 0.6¢ ($3,005,361)	7.0¢	$35,753,291
Public transportation Local bus and transit: 3.3¢ ($16,775,904) Transportation planning and parking enforcement: 1.0¢ ($5,046,789) Street lighting and traffic control: 0.5¢ ($2,308,548)	4.7¢	$24,131,241
Urban planning and zoning Economic development initiatives: 0.7¢ ($3,708,657) Land-use planning and zoning: 0.6¢ ($2,997,717) Building permits and inspections: 0.0¢ ($0)	1.3¢	$6,706,374

Shares are rounded by the City and may not add to exactly 100. Storm water and wastewater treatment are paid for through separate user fees, not property taxes (City note, section D).

The biggest line items

The ten largest net budgets by department or agency, 2025 approved compared with 2026 approved. City of Windsor 2026 Approved Operating Budget, section C.

Department or agency	2025	2026	Change
Windsor Police Services	$111,034,717	$117,266,650	+$6,231,933 (5.61%)
Fire & Rescue	$55,900,464	$55,996,141	+$95,677 (0.17%)
Parks, Recreation & Facilities	$43,740,331	$42,904,913	−$835,418 (−1.91%)
Corporate Accounts	$46,218,762	$40,387,035	−$5,831,727 (−12.62%)
Public Works	$28,948,238	$25,555,838	−$3,392,400 (−11.72%)
Agencies	$24,252,308	$25,367,764	+$1,115,456 (4.60%)
Windsor Essex Community Housing Corp.	$18,207,291	$17,759,021	−$448,270 (−2.46%)
Housing & Children's Services	$18,271,832	$16,325,664	−$1,946,168 (−10.65%)
Transit Windsor	$14,122,873	$15,352,998	+$1,230,125 (8.71%)
Huron Lodge	$10,132,831	$11,854,556	+$1,721,725 (16.99%)

What the City says the capital budget includes

From the City's news release on the approved budget (City of Windsor news release: 2026 Approved Budget):

$2.26 billion 10-year capital budget
$163.8 million for roads, $60.0 million for sewers, $29.2 million for community services (parks, recreation, facilities and culture) and $5.4 million capital investment in public transit
$45.7 million for Banwell Road corridor improvements
$20.7 million for Lauzon Parkway and Cabana Road East infrastructure improvements
$8.0 million for the Windsor Essex Community Housing Corporation Capital Repair and Renewal Program
$7.7 million for University Avenue/Victoria Avenue infrastructure improvements
$7.6 million for works under the Sewer and Coastal Flood Protection Master Plan
$7.0 million for the Playgrounds Replacement Program
$6.0 million for Howard Avenue corridor improvements, South Cameron Boulevard to Herb Gray Parkway
$5.1 million for upgrades to the Homelessness and Housing Help Hub (H4)
$1.5 million for a Sandpoint Beach splashpad

Read the documents

This page uses only City of Windsor budget documents. Figures we could not confirm in those documents are left out. Questions or errors: windsornewsdesk@gmail.com.