The City of Laval will limit the increase in its property taxes to 1.9% for next year, but will introduce a uniform contribution of $ 20 per building to finance water infrastructure and public transport, has learned The Press.
The announcement will be made next week.
The new mayor, Stéphane Boyer, believes that the municipality will be able to make ends meet despite an increase in tax levies well below inflation. His political formation was committed not to exceed this bar.
“What we are going to present is a tax increase of 1.9%, which respects our campaign commitments,” confirmed Mr. Boyer in an interview with Press. After an informal probe among the other municipalities of Greater Montreal, Mr. Boyer believes that Laval will rank among the least greedy in its next budget.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, PRESS ARCHIVES
Stéphane Boyer, Mayor of Laval
“The tax rate is going to be 1.9% higher than it was,” continued Mr. Boyer. To this, there will be added a fixed tax of $ 20 per household: $ 5 per household that will go to public transport and $ 15 for projects affecting water infrastructure. We have a big problem in Laval with the overflows. ”
The mayor describes in particular the wastewater discharges that Laval is currently forced to do during heavy rains, for lack of space in its network. “We have a project to create three underground basins that can be filled with water when there is heavy rains, water which would be treated subsequently,” he said.
On the public transport side, it is the collapse in user revenues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic – and the teleworking that it has engendered – that must be remedied.
Projects to be confirmed
Mr. Boyer indicated that he did not yet have a precise list of other major projects that will appear in Laval’s budget. His team had to first “fix the sandbox a little, know the revenues that will go to the City” before tackling the rest of the budget year.
“We have a list of projects that we want to achieve, we will meet with the oppositions to find out if there are projects to which they are absolutely keen,” he said.
In Montreal, Valérie Plante renewed this week her commitment not to raise taxes on Montrealers by more than 2%, as she had promised during the campaign. In Longueuil, Catherine Fournier had announced before the poll that she would limit herself to inflation if she was elected mayor.