The city of Montreal has unveiled its budget and, as expected, it includes tax increases for every borough.
The highest increases for 2015 will be in the Plateau and the Southwest boroughs, both of which will see increases more than twice the projected rate of inflation of 2 per cent, at 4.5 per cent and 4 per cent, respectively.
Eleven out of 19 boroughs in the city will see increases at or below the rate of inflation, with an average increase of 1.8 per cent.
Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre said the central city was not responsible for the hikes, and that the boroughs themselves were to blame for increasing the tax demand on residents.
Those with lower rates did so of their own accord, he said.
“It’s their burden because they made their decision and they said it’s my fault. It’s not my fault. I put forward and you see when we manage, we manage well, we reduce the expenses we make the system work, we invest where we are supposed to invest,” said Coderre.
Areas where the city will increase financing include $30 million more for public transit, $10 million more for road work, including snow removal and another $4 million for the fire department.
New spending for 2015 will include more money going to the Inspector General's office, and $500,000 for a new 'digital city' bureau.
Meantime, the city is trying to reduce spending by eliminating 2,200 jobs, mostly through attrition, and that last year the equivalent of 410 jobs were cut.
“In fact, we were able to decrease the expense this year by 3/10 of one per cent which is fabulous considering our past history and the inflation,” said Executive Committee chairman Pierre Desrochers.
The overall budget comes in at $4.88 billion.
The Coderre administration hopes to continue cutting costs if the province's pension reform plans go through.
| Ahuntsic-Cartierville | 1.9% |
| Anjou | 1.3% |
| Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce | 2.7% |
| Lachine | 1.9% |
| LaSalle | 2.9% |
| L'Île-Bizard-Sainte-Geneviève | 0.9% |
| Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve | 1.6% |
| Montreal-North | 0.5% |
| Outremont | 2.8% |
| Pierrefonds-Roxboro | 1.1% |
| Plateau-Mont-Royal | 4.5% |
| Rivière-des-Prairies-Pointe-aux-Trembles | 0.6% |
| Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie | 3.0% |
| Saint-Laurent | 2.9% |
| Saint-Leonard | 0.9% |
| Sud-Ouest | 4.0% |
| Verdun | 1.8% |
| Ville-Marie | 1.9% |
| Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension | 2.4% |
