Ward Fund Policy

Windsor, Ontario

This is the exact embedded text of the captured official document. Snapshot 1c16d304895f · verified 2026-06-10 · original document · archived snapshot · unofficial consolidation, the official version is held by the municipal clerk.

Page 1 of 2 Ward Fund Policy THE CORPORATION OF THE CITY OF WINDSOR POLICY Primary Owner: Office of the Chief Financial Officer Policy No.: CS.A10.07 & City Treasurer Approval Date: January 15, 2018 Secondary Owner: Council Services Approved By: B36/2018 Effective Date: Immediate Subject: Ward Fund Policy Procedure Ref: Review Date: January 2023 Pages: 2 Date: January 15, 2018 Prepared By: M. Aquino Replaces: January 6, 2014 (M37-2014) 1. POLICY 1.1. Each Ward will be provided with a specified monetary amount, subject to annual approval by Council through regular budget deliberations, for the purposes of small financial requests for projects of a capital nature. 2. PURPOSE 2.1. To reduce administrative time and expense in the approval process of small capital projects. 2.2. To better meet specific community needs at the Ward level. 3. SCOPE 3.1. Applies to all Wards in the City of Windsor. 4. RESPONSIBILITY 4.1. Ward Councilors' are responsible for: 4.1.1. Ensuring that all proposals are in compliance with this policy. 4.1.2. Initiating the process by bringing forward proposals to the Council Assistants. 4.2. The Chief Financial Officer & City Treasurer, or designate, is responsible to: 4.2.1. Direct the review and update of this policy, at a minimum, every five years. 4.3. Council Assistants are responsible for: 4.3.1. Confirming concurrence with this Policy. 4.3.2. Completing the Ward Fund Disbursement Form and forwarding to: - Financial Planning Administrator - City Council - Executive Director of the relevant operating department 4.4. Financial Planning Administrator - City Council is responsible for: 4.4.1. Processing and recording requests in accordance with normal accounting procedures of the Corporation. 4.4.2. Maintaining a record of available ward funds. Page 2 of 2 Ward Fund Policy 5. GOVERNING RULES AND REGULATIONS 5.1. Ward Funds (The Fund) are to be used as follows: 5.1.1. The Fund may be used for the benefit of capital assets owned by the City of Windsor. Expenditures may include repairs that extend the life of a capital asset and may also be used for the betterment or enhancement of capital assets owned by the City of Windsor. 5.1.2. The Fund may be used to provide financial assistance to Community Based Groups for projects and initiatives that are focused on building neighbourhood connections, address a community need, and/or physically improve spaces within the neighbourhood. 5.2. The Fund must not be used to cover costs whose responsibility would normally rest with private citizens or groups, except for expenditures incurred by Community Based Groups for initiatives covered by section 5.1.2. Such expenditures may be eligible to receive a one- time matching grant for 50% of eligible costs for projects that build on neighbourhood connections and physically improve the neighbourhood, to a maximum of $1,000 per project. 5.3. The Fund must not be used in such a way that would supersede an existing policy as established by Council. Except for funds distributed as a grant to a Community Based Group as per section 5.2, expenditures must be in compliance with the City of Windsor Purchasing Bylaw. 5.4. If funds have been approved and allocated for a particular project, under the operating or capital budgets, the budgeted funds must be used first. 5.5. The Fund may be used when the City of Windsor share of a project is not available or the project is a lower priority within existing allocations. 5.6. Subject to limitations stated in section 5.2, there will be no monetary limit on other project expenditures that meet the criteria of the Fund. Two or more Wards may join together for Funding purposes where the project directly affects more than one Ward, or where the project has wider City impacts. 5.7. Unused Ward Funds will be carried forward to the next fiscal period. 5.8. A semi-annual report, by Ward, will be submitted to Council for review and accountability. 5.9. Use of Ward Funds for a project must not be committed, and the project must not be publically announced, in the six-months period immediately prior to a municipal election. The official commitment date shall be deemed to be the date on which the City Treasurer or designate receives the official Ward Funds use request form duly authorized by signature or attached e-mail request by the requesting councillor. It is understood that the work may actually be undertaken within the six-month period due to administration's work priorities or climate requirements. 5.10. Forms and files created as a result of funding under this program must be retained and filed in accordance with the City's Schedule of Retention Periods for Records By-Law. 6. REFERENCES AND RELATED DOCUMENTS 6.1. Ward Fund Disbursement Form