The City of Windsor will have to go back to the coffers to help balance the books at the Essex Windsor Solid Waste Authority.

Council on Monday approved a retroactive 4.7 per cent budget increase, which represents about $286,000 more for 2019.

All county municipalities were asked for the same contribution.

The Solid Waste Authority says the increase is required to balance the books, a process staff say will take about nine more years.

The authority deals with garbage, recycling and yard waste, and it is facing budget pressures mostly brought on by landfill expenses.

Michelle Bishop, the Manager of Finance and Administration, says the budget pressures did not hold up their work.

“Your garbage got collected, your recycling got collected and life went on,” says Bishop. “However we really do have a number of capital initiatives that we need to get moving on."

The authority's total budget for 2019 is just over $11.8 million.