The youngest Mayor in the history of the City of Windsor, Eddie Francis was first elected Mayor in November, 2003.

From bringing accountability and openness back to City Hall, to ensuring that Windsor and Canada had a major role in this year’s Super Bowl, Eddie Francis and Windsor City Council have achieved a record of ambitious accomplishments.

As part of a comprehensive strategy to make City services more accessible, a new 311 telephone service was established—the first of its kind in Ontario.

Windsor’s downtown is being revitalized. The Downtown Strategy includes the establishment of a new downtown campus for St. Clair College, a new transit terminal, and the development of an urban village—all of which complement a major expansion of Casino Windsor that will include a new theatre, 100,000 square feet of new convention space and a new 400 plus room hotel tower. Already, a number of new shops and restaurants have located in Windsor’s downtown core.

Over $130 million has been invested in new capital projects—including a new home for seniors and 69 percent of this year’s municipal capital budget dedicated to roads and sewers.

Financially, Windsor is back on the right track.

Windsor’s municipal debt has been reduced by $115 million in less than three years.

The people of Windsor have seen among the lowest tax rate increases in Ontario.

And Windsor’s commercial tax rates are being cut by 3.6 percent, industrial tax rates are going down by 5.9 percent, and large industrial rates are being reduced by 9.4 percent.

Under the Mayor’s leadership, City Council commissioned a groundbreaking report which assessed and promoted the need for new intermodal transportation systems and border crossings that are fully integrated with trade routes across North America and beyond. This report has helped generate debate regarding how to best move goods and people not only across the Detroit-Windsor border, but also across North America.

Before the people of Windsor made Eddie Francis their Mayor, he ran a very successful small family business with his brothers. He was awarded the Windsor Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Award as the Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

Eddie graduated with a combined undergraduate degree in chemistry and biochemistry from the University of Western Ontario. He went on to graduate from the University of Windsor Law School and was called to the Bar in 2002. He is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada. He completed his articles with international law firm, Miller Canfield Paddock and Stone.

Eddie Francis is married to Dr. Michelle Prince, a Doctor of Chiropractic who has a family wellness practice in Windsor. They have one daughter, Sienna and they reside in South Windsor.