The Plante administration adopted its 2024 budget on Monday, which provides for total spending of $7 billion and increases residential property taxes by 4.9% on average.
Projet Montréal elected officials voted for the adoption of the budget, while the opposition voted against.
All day, from 9:30 a.m. until 9:40 p.m., municipal councilors debated the document. Opposition leader Aref Salem and his colleagues have raised criticisms in particular regarding the financing of districts, the financing of homelessness and cost overruns in major infrastructure projects. Conversely, Valérie Plante’s troops defended a rigorous budget, which preserves services for citizens and tackles the climate crisis, without making excesses.
“In my opinion, we are facing a budget of greed and disdain for the citizens of Montreal,” attacked Mr. Salem. After oyster evenings, after huge evenings, after endless flights, we are presented with a budget with a record tax increase of 4.9%. »
“This budget will hurt everyone: the owners, certainly, the industries of Montreal, the tenants of Montreal,” he continued. “We are coming to hit them with a tax increase. »
It was the finance manager on the executive committee, Benoit Dorais, who defended the budget prepared by his colleague Dominique Ollivier.
“We understand that this is a difficult moment. We are not asking you to make this effort without the City [fasse de même] », argued the elected official. “It’s a budget that is responsible. »
“In 2023 we saw inflation continue its ravages. Higher interest rates have damaged the economy, […] a drop in real estate transactions which has a certain cost for the City of Montreal,” continued Mr. Dorais. “We had some really difficult choices to make, but we made them. We face the music. »
Valérie Plante’s troops rejected the opposition’s three amendments: reduce the tax increase, increase the homelessness budget more significantly and increase transfers to the districts.
Valérie Plante is “getting better and better”
Valérie Plante was not at the municipal council to have her budget adopted. She is “getting better and better”, six days after feeling unwell in the middle of a press conference, but must continue to slow down her pace of work.
“I have to continue to slow down the pace of my activities, although fortunately I feel better and better,” she wrote on social media. “I will be back at your side as soon as possible. »
Mme Plante felt unwell last Tuesday in the middle of a press conference, while answering questions from journalists at city hall.
While answering a journalist’s question in English, Mme Plante stopped speaking for about ten seconds, before sliding to the ground and saying that she didn’t feel well. Her colleagues as well as security agents immediately intervened with her, while she was on the ground.
After approximately five minutes, the mayor left the premises walking, supported by members of her staff.
The day after this event, Mr. Rabouin assured that his boss was “fine”. “As a preventive measure, it will reduce the pace of its activities over the coming days and it will resume thereafter,” he added.
With Isabelle Ducas, The Press