Our Agglomeration share paid to the City of Montreal - Beaconsfield considers legal recourse to recuperate overpayments of $12M annually Français
BEACONSFIELD, QC, Dec. 17, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - The Mayor of Beaconsfield, Georges Bourelle, announces that Council awarded a mandate last night to an expert in municipal law in order to evaluate its legal options for recuperating overpayments of 12 million dollars annually to the Montreal Agglomeration.
"We have been talking about these injustices over and over again ever since I became mayor six years ago. The quotes-parts that we are paying to the Montreal Agglomeration cost us much more than Montreal citizens, without any reason", explains Mayor Bourelle who is also vice-president of the Commission sur les finances et l'administration [Standing Committee on Finance and Administration] of the Montreal Agglomeration.
The mandate for this evaluation was given to Marc-André LeChasseur, expert in municipal law at Bélanger Sauvé.
For Mayor Bourelle, a full analysis has been carried out covering all possible aspects. "After providing administrative evidence, we have undertaken countless political actions to address this injustice. Unfortunately, it must be said that the administration of the City of Montreal is turning a deaf ear because it receives an annual surtax from the 15 suburban municipalities. For us, in Beaconsfield, this represents 12 million dollars in overpaid taxes", denounces Mayor Bourelle once again.
The injustice stems from the fact that Montreal uses two methods of calculation to determine the Agglomeration budget. It keeps 87% of the revenues, but pays only 82% of the costs of the services it receives from the Agglomeration, and makes the suburban cities pay 18% although they only receive 13% of the revenues. The suburban cities are therefore being taken for a ride twice – they receive less and pay more than their share.
Given the consistent refusal by the administration of the City of Montreal to review the quote-part formula, Mayor Bourelle considers that the time has come to evaluate legal options, as the current democratic system in place at the Agglomeration allows the City of Montreal to impose all its financial decisions and political choices on the 15 suburban municipalities who are unable to do anything to change that.
"We can no longer tolerate that Montreal is using complicated mathematical formula to hide surtaxes that break all rules of justice, social and financial equality in managing public funds."
"In Beaconsfield, the surtax costs each residents $600 per year. For a property owned by a couple, this overpayment represents $1,200 in surtaxes transferred to Montreal without receiving any additional service in our City. For a couple with two children at home, this represents $2,400 in surtaxes that Montreal is taking out of our pockets to balance its expenses", concludes Mayor Bourelle.
SOURCE City of Beaconsfield
For further information: Mayor's Office, 514 428.4410
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