Some borough mayors are furious with Denis Coderre following the mayor's new funding reform for the boroughs.

Money for services will be now distributed based on a new formula that takes into account measurements like how many kilometres of roads and sidewalks they have.

As a result, some boroughs will receive more money while others will have to do more with less. The announcement left the opposition Projet Montreal furious.

“He doesn’t yet know the complexity of Montreal,” said opposition leader Richard Bergeron.

The new plan, that was studied but never implemented by former administrations, will see new criteria for borough funding, based on issues like kilometres of road and sidewalks.

“It's a matter of equity,” said Coderre. “You're not losing. We are making sure all Montrealers will have the same quality of service.”

The previous funding model was set up before the city’s forced mergers in 2002.

Under the new plan, some boroughs will see a major boost, phased in over the next five years:

  •  Lasalle's funding will increase by 21.7 per cent.
  • Pierrefonds-Roxboro will rise by 11.1 per cent
  • Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve will increase by  8.2 per cent

Other boroughs will be hit hard, with the decreases taking place over 10 years:

  • Outremont will be cut by 19.3 per cent
  • The downtown Ville-Marie borough slashes its budget by 13.7 per cent
  • Plateau Mont-Royal loses 12.7 per cent of its budget
  • The Southwest borough will have to cut 10.8 per cent

“In the end, LaSalle will receive exactly the same amount of money as the Plateau Mont-Royal,” said an angry Plateau Mayor Luc Ferrandez. “They have 75,000 people, we have 103,000, but we also have 3000 businesses, 500 bars. (Lasalle) doesn't have that; (it) has kilometres of roads and sidewalks.”

The opposition accused Coderre of playing partisan politics.

“If you look who are his friends: Ahuntsic-Cartierville, $2.4 million more, Cote-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de Grace with Russell Copemen who is an ally - $1.5 million,” said Bergeron.

Meantime, the Plateau complained before the restructuring it couldn't afford to do enough snow removal.

“There is no way we can afford these cuts. It's impossible. The level of cuts is just too big… and what will happen? More taxes,” said Ferrandez.

Another possible consequence is boroughs threatening to demerge if the reform is implemented.

“I'm sure some of the boroughs will want to (demerge) with Montreal if Denis Coderre wants to go through with this plan,” said Rosemont La-Petite-Patrie Borough Mayor Francois Croteau.

Coderre said another part of his plan will see overall spending on boroughs increased by $3.6 million per year.

Projet Montreal said it will vote against the budget.