2022 borough budget will disappoint CDN - NDG residents

MONTREAL, Dec. 6th 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - City Councillors Sonny Moroz (Snowdon) and Stephanie Valenzuela (Darlington) today expressed their disappointment in the 2022 Cote des Neiges - Notre Dame de Grace budget. The Councillors say the budget, approval of which is being rushed through Monday, December 6, without the customary public consultation, in no way addresses the underfunding of the Borough that candidates of both major parties had promised during the recent election campaign would be their first priority to address.

"As a new Councillor, I'm appalled," said Councillor Moroz. "I've been closely following the budget process for 10 years and our Borough budgets usually are presented at a public meeting to allow citizens and community groups to comment, allowing Councillors to make adjustments as needed. It is a step backward in the democratic life of the Borough."Moroz notes that the budget documents given to Councillors contain almost no details. For example, money will be spent to repair municipal buildings but there is no list of which buildings. Moroz believes the entire exercise is to facilitate the Plante administration at Centre City which wants to have the Borough and Centre City budget adopted just after the holidays thus ensuring little scrutiny from Council Commissions and the public. 

"One thing is certain, this budget does not respond to any of the promises made by the candidates, including those from Valerie Plante's own party who form the majority on our Council." deplored Moroz.

For her part, Councillor Valenzuela noted that the transfer of new funds from Centre City to the Borough will be limited to 1% while the Bank of Canada indicates inflation in 2021 may top 3% this year and continue on the same trajectory in 2022.

"That may explain why the Borough is being forced to raid its surplus to the tune of nearly $2 million to maintain services and to relaunch activities shut during Covid, " said Councillor Valenzuela. "The surplus should go to permanent improvements, particularly in the less affluent Cote des Neiges part of the Borough, as well as acting as a hedge to help us in case of emergency. We should not be using our surplus to make up for the Plante administration's underfunding."

Both Valenzuela and Moroz also noted that the Borough has a woeful lack of money assigned for infrastructure. They say many roads in the Borough are at the end of their useful life but only a mere $2.9 million is budgeted for roads and sidewalks in 2022.

"This issue has been repeatedly raised yet ignored since Projet Montreal has controlled the Borough. The Coderre administration poured tens of millions into augmenting our annual road budget allowing for the redesign and repair of such streets like de la Savane and Van Horne. The Plante administration has given us a few million dollars that do not even keep up with deterioration of roadways." said Councillor Valenzuela.

SOURCE Ville de Montréal - Opposition officielle à l'Hôtel de Ville de Montréal

Renseignements : Guillaume Pelletier, Attaché de presse, Cabinet de l'Opposition officielle, 438-821-2278; Source : Marc-Antoine Audette, Directeur des communications, Cabinet de l'Opposition officielle

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