Quebec municipalities are “Formula 1 cars” without fuel, due to the fiscal and legal straitjacket of which they are prisoners, says Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin, who was mayor of Gatineau from 2013 to 2021.
“I insist on the term reform because what cities need is not reform or small actions,” says the former elected official, during an interview with The duty for his test Liberate the citiespublished on October 11.
Mr. Pedneaud-Jobin does not mince his words: “in certain respects, cities are doing badly”. He asserts that the property tax, from which municipalities in Quebec derive approximately 70% of their revenue, no longer generates enough money for them to fulfill all their responsibilities.
It must be said that cities have been profoundly transformed over the years. “A few decades ago, cities were local governments. Services were provided to the property, such as waterworks, sewers, asphalt, and waste management. » Now, they have become local governments, which carry out social development. “The new responsibilities they have, such as culture, sports, leisure, the fight against poverty, homelessness, these are added costs. But taxation has not changed. »
Mr. Pedneaud-Jobin emphasizes the need for cities to find avenues to reduce their dependence on property taxes. He thus proposes various solutions to “give wings” to municipalities. For example, the latter currently only receive “the equivalent of the annual growth of one Quebec sales tax (QST) point,” he explains. The entire transfer of one or two percentage points of the QST to the cities would therefore allow them to have more revenue, he argues.
In addition, the property tax is “neither fair nor adequate,” he laments. “For example, a single mother will pay the same amount of property tax for her semi-detached as her neighbors, a couple with two incomes. »
Fortunately, the new generation of mayors elected in the 2021 election is transforming the municipal world, says the father of three children. “People are happy, they see municipal politicians who have vision and scope. It was to help them a lot that I wrote this book. If there is no reform, they will have great difficulty achieving their objectives. »
No question of “replacing” Quebec
If cities need reform to reach their full potential, they do not aspire to replace the Quebec government, the author adds. Rather, they wish to assume their “territorial leadership” in relation to issues such as homelessness and housing. “Before, we said: “Quebec will take care of it”. There we say: “OK, things are bad, but we’re going to sit the actors down together to see how we can all manage this.” »
As an example, the former elected official mentions the role played by cities in matters of immigration, even if it is a jurisdiction shared between Ottawa and Quebec. “Immigrants do not arrive in Canada and Quebec, they arrive in a neighborhood. Cities are mobilizing to help their people. But that costs money. »
On a legal level, municipalities are also trapped in a straightjacket, says Mr. Pedneaud-Jobin. “They are “creatures of the provinces”, so the City does not have its own field of jurisdiction where it does what it wants. […] It is the Quebec government which adopts laws which determine what the City can do,” he explains.
It is therefore crucial to establish a municipal charter in order to define the powers that could be transferred to cities by Quebec, he states, taking up the proposal made by the Union of Municipalities of Quebec in 2012.
Convince MPs
Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin hopes that his book will fall into the hands of the deputies of the National Assembly of Quebec. “My goal, and that’s why it’s an argument, is to say: “Here are the changes that cities are experiencing. This needs reform as quickly as possible and it is in the interest of all of Quebec.” »
Especially since municipalities are at the forefront when floods or forest fires occur, he emphasizes. “Climate crises will multiply and, if the City does not have resources, all of Quebec will be less resilient. »
Climate crises will multiply and, if the City does not have resources, all of Quebec will be less resilient.
The collaborator The Press and Radio-Canada wants his book to create discussions. For him, writing this essay was even “therapeutic”, he relates. “I had all kinds of frustrations and things that I wanted to say and explain. »
He specifies that his work is aimed at any citizen who is interested in their municipality. “The latter is changing, and he must be aware of it, because the City could help him enormously to do all kinds of things and improve his quality of life. »