After having legislated to give them the power, the Prime Minister of Quebec, François Legault, now recommends that municipalities avoid, if possible, increasing taxes on registration.
“Quebecers are already overtaxed, so be careful and before thinking about seeking additional revenue, look to reduce your expenses,” the Prime Minister declared Wednesday.
Last week, Parliament adopted Bill 39, which notably allows municipalities to increase the registration tax on their territory to finance their public transport services.
Compared by some to the orange solidarity tax, this measure has earned it strong criticism, notably from conservative leader Éric Duhaime who accuses it of “waging war on cars”.
Asked about the apparent contradiction between the bill and his remarks, Mr. Legault maintained that cities were effectively dependent on property taxes and needed greater flexibility.
“The revenue essentially comes from a tax on the value of homes. Perhaps we can choose to have less of this tax more than another rather than targeting certain taxpayers more than others for reasons of fairness.”
Mr. Legault made these remarks on the sidelines of the signing of the new financial agreement linking Quebec to the municipal world.
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