The Essex County Council voted on March 18, 2026, to stop a plan to create its own separate social services system, deciding instead to keep sharing these programs with the City of Windsor to avoid higher costs for residents in Tecumseh, Ontario.
Councillor Tracey Bailey, who introduced the motion, explained that building a new county-run system would cost tens of millions of dollars just to start and millions more every year to run. The council also ruled out buying new properties or taking on construction costs that would lead to higher tax bills for local residents.
Under the current arrangement used since 1999, the City of Windsor manages programs like Ontario Works, child care, and social housing for the entire area. The county currently pays about $16 million a year to the Windsor Essex Community Housing Corporation, which looks after more than 4,700 housing units across the region.
Tensions between the city and county had increased recently after Windsor changed the board of directors for the housing corporation, giving the county less say in how the units are managed. Tecumseh Deputy Mayor Joe Bachetti noted that there has been ongoing friction between the two governments regarding these shared services.
While the council decided not to split, leaders are still pushing for improvements to a system they say is not meeting local needs. Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy noted that in 2024, only 35 people were placed into housing from the regional waitlist, despite thousands of people needing help. County staff will now ask the province and the City of Windsor for better coordination and more funding to improve the system without increasing the burden on taxpayers.
