'Our best days are yet to come,' Drew Dilkens re-elected mayor of Windsor

Windsorites have made their choice Drew Dilkens will hold the mayoral seatfor the next four years.

Polls closed at 8 p.m. With 102polls reporting out of 113, Dilkenswas re-elected with 59.2per cent of the vote.

Five people ran for mayor in Windsor, but it has been perceived as a two-man race between incumbent Dilkensand Marchand for most of the campaigning period. Others who ran were Frank Dyck, Tom Hensel and Ernie Lamont.

"I want to thank you for allowing me to continue moving Windsorforward," said Dilkens during his speech. "I told you I'd build on that success and I did just that."

Marchandsaid he had a "great campaign."

"It was an experience I wouldn't change anything about," he said after his loss. "I think some of the ideas we put forward are going to continue on."

Some of those ideas he mentioned were having an in-house auditor general and his Windsor 2022 campaign on addressing homelessness and the opioid crisis in the city.

Dilkenstook home 31,201 votes and Marchandreceived 18,626.

Surveillance, housing and no auditor general

Dilkens was first elected in the 2014 election. Throughout the campaigning period, he has been touting his four-year record of lowering the city's unemployment rate, improving the city's infrastructure such as roads and sewers and holding the line on taxes.

In this platform for the 2018 election, Dilkens promised to add Windsor police officers to the force and increase surveillance downtown in an effort to make the city's core safer.

He also spoke of implementing a service to allow people to report crime directly to the 911 dispatch centre through videos, pictures, text messages and file transfers.

Another part of Dilkens' plans also include affordable housing developments. One plan that has gone through council in the few months before voting day include the 150-unit development in the city's east end.

Throughout the campaigning period, Dilkens' opponents, especially Marchand, and council candidates have supported hiring an in-house auditor general.

However, Dilkens have remained strong on defending the city's use of an externally-hired auditing firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.

"It doesn't improve your life. This is about you and doing what's right for you," said Dilkens during a mayoral debate with Marchand.

He brought a stack of papers, which he said were the 37 audits the firm has taken during his term.

New council

• Ward 1: Fred Francis
• Ward 2: FabioCostante
• Ward 3: Rino Bortolin
• Ward 4: Chris Holt
• Ward 5: Ed Sleiman
• Ward 6: Jo-Anne Gignac
• Ward 7: Irek Kusmierczyk
• Ward 8: Gary Kaschak
• Ward 9: Kieran McKenzie
• Ward 10: Jim Morrison

Dilkensthanked other candidates who ran against him and also across the city ascouncillorsduring his speech.

"By their nature, elections can be divisive affairs," hesaid. "Each of the candidates who stepped forward should be acknowledged, they should be thanked."

"I truly believe, our best days are yet to come."