Drew Dilkens
Lawyer; Mayor of Windsor.
Drew Dilkens is the 34th Mayor of the City of Windsor. He was first elected to City Council in 2006 (Ward 1), and remained a Councillor until he ran for and won the mayor’s race in 2015.
“I’ve always enjoyed public service and volunteer work” declared a young Drew Dilkens during an early candidacy.
A native of Windsor, Dilkens’ political career began in Vincent Massey Secondary School where he was vice president of the student council. As a university undergraduate, Dilkens campaigned (unsuccessfully) for a municipal position on the board of the Windsor Utilities Commission (1991), and as a trustee for the Greater Essex County Public School Board (1994). Over the next decade, more runs for public office followed. At the same time, he was active in a number of civic and business organizations. In the 2006 election, Dilkens won a seat on Windsor City Council representing Ward I. During his two terms as councillor, Dilkens obtained a law degree, in addition to working in the private sector. As the second decade of the new century began to unfold, the City of Windsor was troubled by high unemployment levels, decreasing population and a declining tax base.
Drew Dilkens ran for mayor in the municipal election of 2015 and won voter support, in part, with his promise to continue his predecessor’s legacy of fiscal conservatism. Diversifying the economy, fixing Windsor’s infrastructure and improving the quality of life for city residents are other goals set by Mayor Dilkens.
In the campaign leading up to the 2018 municipal election, Dilkens promised to fund more infrastructure improvements, and quality of life investments in the city, as well as looking for solutions for the crime rate increases, homelessness and addiction problems plaguing Windsor. A strong majority of votes cast returned Dilkens to the Mayor’s Office that October.
Sources:
Dawes, Rick. “Dilkens Launches Mayoral Campaign; Candidate Outlines 4-Point Platform.” The Windsor Star, Sep 08, 2014. Retrieved from Canadian Newstand (online database) April 17, 2018.
“Mayor Drew Dilkens”. City of Windsor. Retrieved April 17, 2018
Schmidt, Doug. “Dilkens joins race for mayor: Councillor vows to hold line on taxes“. Windsor Star. August 5, 2015. . Retrieved from Canadian Newsstand (newspaper database) April 17, 2018.
Mayor Wins with Strong Majority and Other Election Night Results, Windsor Star.