City of Windsor responds in writing on its $24,000 sole-source contract with GT & Co

The City says the City Hall procedures review is within the Council-approved budget. Several questions remain unanswered.

The City of Windsor said Sept. 29 that GT & Co was retained to review procedures and processes at City Hall and recommend ways to enhance productivity. The sole-source contract is valued at $24,000 and was within the Council-approved budget. Any recommendations go to the next City Council, which will decide whether to proceed.

The City says it sole-sourced the work because of the heavy Council Services workload tied to election preparations, and that the CAO and Purchasing By-laws let the CAO issue contracts within the approved budget when sole-source parameters are met.

Administration says the review responds to concerns raised by members of Council over several years, including deferring items involving delegates, timelines for answers to Council questions, time limits on councillors' remarks, and presenting at both Standing Committee and Council.

Media-reported (CBC, AM800, August 2026): GT & Co partner Andrew Teliszewsky was Mayor Drew Dilkens' chief of staff from 2020 to 2023. AM800 reported the review began Aug. 2 and runs until Oct. 31, five days after the Oct. 26 election. Dilkens told CBC he had no involvement in selecting the firm.

The City sent the statement to a Windsor resident who had asked in writing on Aug. 16 and Sept. 25, saying it is the same information given to the media. It did not say who signed the sole-source approval under Part IX of Purchasing By-law 93-2012, why the work overlaps the election period, how concerns about the former chief of staff link were assessed, or whether a purchase order, sole-source approval or Council report naming GT & Co is available to residents.