Windsor mayoral candidate says city should weigh new investment strategy, mayor calls plan risky

Windsor mayoral candidate Chris Holt says the city needs to rethink the way it invests its money but the mayor calls his plan risky and radical.

"Our city is leaving millions of dollars on the table that should be benefiting our community instead," Holt said in a news conference held Tuesday on his back deck.

Holt said the city should be utilizing One Investment, a not-for-profit corporation that, according to its website, provides "investment options that support the needs of Ontario's municipalities."

Holt said that $333 million dollars worth of city reserve funds earn less than one per cent a year in interest. He said that by using One, it could yield an additional $6 milllion dollars a year which would equate to a 1.4 per cent increase in the city's operating budget.

"We could have conducted maintenance on an additional 485 kilometres of city roads or we could make three times as many bikeway improvements," Holt said.

But, mayor Drew Dilkens who has not announced whether or not he will be running in October's municipal election, said that Holt's plan is "risky and radical."

Dilken's written statement went on to say what Holt is proposing would "expose taxpayers to more market volatility, increase municipal debts and end up costing more through interest payments than would ever be earned back through investment income."

Almos Tassonyi, who lives in Toronto but is an executive fellow of public policy at the University of Calgary, said that money being allocated to a One Investment fund would bring a higher return and is a relatively low-risk investment.

"It's got a long track record," he said.

"I don't really see this as a risky prospect. It just has to be considered in the context of the infrastructure financing decisions as well as what's your surplus cash." 

Holt said that other municipalities, such as Markham and Whitby are able to earn millions on the interest by using One but Tassonyi said that what fits one municipality doesn't fit all.

 "This is just a choice,"  Tassonyi said.

"Any municipality can allocate some monies to one fund and some monies to other vehicles just depending on how they view the timing of when they want to withdraw the funds and invest in infrastructure or whatever other pressures they may have."

Daniel Ableser, who dubs himself a city council watcher, said that Holt is likely seizing on fiscal issues because he has promised a fully costed platform and he will be creative in finding ways to pay for his ideas.