Data compiled by the team of Investigation office several hundred municipalities demonstrate that many towns and villages in Quebec do not hesitate to impose tax increases that exceed inflation. The newspaper met with citizens and mayors of these cities who express their point of view.
Residents of Saint-François-de-l’Île-d’Orléans will know over the next few days how the 12.5% tax increase will affect them, as their bill lands in the mailbox.
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The citizens that The newspaper contacted had not received their tax notice yet, but knew that the increase that is coming is salty. In Saint-François, a village with some 530 inhabitants, at the eastern tip of Île d’Orléans, the rate will rise by 12.5%. This is the largest increase in the Metropolitan Community of Quebec in 2023, had noted in December The newspaperwho did the review.
No big surf yet
Yoland Dion, former mayor of the place, believes that the market is high, but considering the declines of recent years, the pill is not too hard to swallow.
“In context, it’s not that bad,” he says. A trader who did not want to be named publicly mentioned his surprise at receiving such a hike. A resident spoke of “shock”, pointing out that expenses are not so numerous. But in general, the rise does not arouse passions at the moment.
The director general of the municipality, Marco Langlois, had entrusted the Log in December that the decisions were difficult.
“This is the worst year that could fall on us. There are a lot of things that are very difficult to have control over.”
Nevertheless, he emphasizes that “we must pay attention to the percentage increases. We were among the lowest.
For the mayor, Lina Labbé, citizens “have been very spared in the last ten years” with two freezes, two tax cuts and increases according to the consumer price index. On the other hand, the galloping inflation of the last few months has caught up with the municipal administration.
“This year, we gave a blow, we have no choice.”
She recalls that the municipality has already allocated surpluses to limit tax increases.
“We can’t eat all our surpluses. There were years when we should not have lowered or frozen taxes. But at some point, you can’t work miracles.”
– With the collaboration of Jean-Luc Lavallée