MONTREAL – After their first official meeting, Martin Coiteux and Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre announced that Montreal will get special metropolis status in 2016.
Coiteux has taken on a new role as the Public Security and Municipal Affairs Minister after the recent cabinet shuffle, but he is also the minister responsible for the Montreal region.
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Coderre and Coiteux held a press conference Friday evening at Montreal City Hall after their first official meeting regarding the special status for the city.
“We are the locomotive of Quebec, we have a role to play for the region and it’s important and imperative to have the tools to work with,” Coderre said.
The status will give Montreal more decision-making powers and allow the city to control its own finances to decide how its money is spent.
The city would also have more of a say when it comes to infrastructure projects like bridges and roads, as well as seeking new sources of revenue.
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“We’ll work on eliminating as much red tape as possible,” said Coiteux.
“We’ll work on modernizing our institutions around negotiations in the public sector at the municipal level. We will work on these three things in 2016”.
It is unclear exactly when this legislation will roll out, however both Coiteux and Coderre agreed it is a priority for this year.