The Mayor of Montreal Valérie Plante asks the provincial parties to commit to establishing a better fiscal balance between the Government of Quebec and the municipalities, as well as to financially supporting the metropolis in its fight against armed violence, the construction of affordable housing and its actions in the face of the climate crisis.
The elected official says she expects the voice of the cities to be heard by October 3. “The next provincial election is truly a crucial moment in the history of Quebec for making the necessary societal choices,” said Valérie Plante, who spoke of the “unprecedented crises” facing “the future of the metropolis, but also of Quebec”.
Montreal is asking in particular for a better “fiscal balance” between the province and the municipalities, whose responsibilities have increased over the years, but which remain very dependent on property income. “We need new sources of income that are stable. Not at the next tax pact in two years. Now, ”she said, recalling that the City had launched a vast project on taxation, which will be held this fall.
According to the mayor, Montreal needs a transitional financial agreement pending the conclusion of this tax pact.
A cost to be specified
Valérie Plante was unable to quantify the demands of the metropolis on Monday. However, she pointed out that the costs related to level 5 police services for investigation and intervention, estimated at $51 million per year, should be better shared. Similarly, the City is asking for funding for the first responders service of the Montreal Fire Department, which has an annual deficit of 12 million, indicates a document published Monday detailing the demands of the City of Montreal as part of the campaign. electoral.
Struggling with an increase in armed violence, Montreal hopes to obtain a significant share of the 42 million announced by the federal government 10 days ago to counter this phenomenon in Quebec.
In housing, Quebec should implement programs for the construction of 6,000 affordable housing units and 2,000 social housing units per year over the next decade, believes the mayor.
In terms of transportation, the City would like to conclude a long-term agreement to fund the public transit operating budget and accelerate the completion of projects such as the extension of the blue line and the western branch of the orange line of the Montreal.
The City is also counting on the support of Québec to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and is calling for the financing of a “green pact” which would, in particular, make it possible to upgrade its water infrastructures.
Among its other demands, Montreal urges Quebec to reimburse 100% of the QST paid by municipalities, as is already the case for the GST.
Cases moving forward
Valérie Plante will receive on Tuesday morning the president of the Union of Quebec municipalities and mayor of Gaspé, Daniel Côté, to discuss the demands of the cities. She also said she was ready to welcome the leaders of the provincial parties to the town hall to hear their proposals for the elections.
Asked about the disputes that her administration has had with the Legault government for four years, the mayor replied that relations were good. “People sometimes say that things weren’t going so well with the CAQ government. It’s wrong. […] Me, I work well with everyone and there are a lot of files that have moved forward,” she explained, citing the case of the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) in the East and the agreement in favor of the Quebec tramway. The mayor nevertheless refrained from taking a position in favor of one or the other of the parties in the campaign.
Ensemble Montreal adviser Abdelhaq Sari said he was surprised that the Plante administration was not more specific in its demands of the provincial parties. But even more, he lamented that the mayor did not insist more on public safety. “Parents are afraid to send their children to school. They are even afraid to go out to walk their dog. And there, we don’t even talk about it. According to him, the mayor should have addressed the issue of the lack of police personnel and the issue of portable cameras.