Addressing the parties involved in the Quebec election campaign, the Montreal Metropolitan Community (CMM) is calling on the next government to support more vigorously the construction of new housing and the development of public and active transportation.
The CMM thus returns to the charge with its request concerning the registration tax. In 2019, the 82 cities of the metropolitan area adopted a resolution to impose a $50 registration tax on 450 motorists and to reduce the tax already paid by motorists on the island of Montreal from $45 to $50. . These new revenues, which were then estimated at $100 million per year, were intended to fund public transit.
However, the Société de l’assurance-automobile du Québec (SAAQ) has never collected this tax from motorists.
On several occasions, it invoked the obsolescence of its computer systems which did not allow it to make such changes. The CMM is now calling on the parties to commit to having this tax collected as of January 2023 and that Quebec pay the cities compensation for the sums not received since 2020.
Kilometer tax
The CMM also suggests that the parties evaluate the implementation of a kilometric tax to replace the tax on gasoline, whose revenues are likely to decrease. According to the cities, it is necessary to diversify the sources of funding for public transit and for Quebec to support the development of public transit and the projects of the future strategic plan of the Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM).
In terms of housing, the CMM has identified three priorities: the rehabilitation of low-cost housing (HLM) in poor condition, the delivery of AccèsLogis housing already planned but not built, as well as funding that would allow the construction of 3,000 social housing and 9,000 affordable housing units annually, for a period of ten years.
The cities would also like Quebec to devote $100 million to the creation of a network of metropolitan parks and to fulfill its commitment to amend the Expropriation Act to facilitate the purchase of land by municipalities. The CMM suggests that Quebec grant 100 million to finance a program for the acquisition of land likely to be converted into green spaces or natural environments, such as golf courses.
In order to protect agricultural land, she suggests the establishment of a regime that would allow municipalities to expropriate agricultural land that has not been used for three years so that it can be rented or sold to agricultural producers.