Laval mayor Gilles Vaillancourt is expected to announce his resignation on Friday.

Sources within Laval City Hall say that the mayor actually decided last week to resign, and was just waiting for the moment to make his announcement. That moment is supposed to come Friday.

Vaillancourt has been an elected official in Laval for 40 years, first being elected to city council in 1973.

In 1989 he took over leadership of the Parti du Ralliement Officiel (PRO) de Laval and became mayor. He has since been easily re-elected ever since, winning anywhere from 60 to 75 percent of votes cast.

His party is so dominant in Laval that PRO Laval councillors currently hold every seat.

In recent years Vaillancourt has been accused, although never in court, of paying bribes to other politicians and of skimming a percentage from construction contracts in Laval.

In October police raided his two homes, his office, and his bank, prompting Vaillancourt to take sick leave.