Watch: Budget reforms affect Montreal boroughs
MONTREAL — Mayor Denis Coderre said that he wants to level the playing field when it comes to financing the boroughs.
On Tuesday afternoon, city officials laid out their plan to overhaul the system starting in 2015.
The city hired experts to examine services like snow removal, water, parks and sporting facilities to see how to make spending more fair across the city.
“We have to realize that it’s a matter of equity,” explained Coderre.
“We’re not losing. We’re making sure all Montrealers, no matter where they live, will have the same quality service.”
Instead of budgets determined by past budgets, the money will be given out to the 19 boroughs on the Island of Montreal based on predetermined criteria.
For boroughs like Lasalle and Pierrefonds-Roxboro, this will mean an increase in funds.
Lasalle will get almost 22 per cent more over the next five years and Pierrefonds-Roxboro’s budget will rise by 11 per cent.
However boroughs like Anjou and Outremont will take a hit.
Outremont will lose $4 million over the next 10 years, or 19 per cent of its budget.
The decision already has some borough mayors and residents up-at-arms.
But Mayor Coderre insisted that, in the long term, the new financing system will benefit the entire city.
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