The government is moving ahead with a series of bills to give Quebec cities more powers. Tuesday, the premier signed a formal declaration and announced it with the province’s municipalities.
“I think it’s a new era,” Municipal Affairs Minister Martin Coiteux said. “It’s an era in which we will empower our citizens more.”
A series of new bills tabled at the National Assembly will give local governments more control over things that directly impact their residents: more control over taxes, for example. It will also mean city councils will be able to pass laws more quickly.
“We needed tools and today we have a toolbox,” Bernard Sévigny, president of the Union des municipalités du Québec, said.
No longer “abstract creatures of government,” the premier acknowledged municipalities as their own levels of government.
“In practice we recognize them as a government of proximity,” he said.
“The closer the decision is made to the people it’s going to affect, the better the decision will be. It’s true for us, it’s true for the municipalities,” the premier added.
The Union des municipalités du Québec and the Fédération québecoise des municipalités said they’ve been waiting for this for a long time.
However, the government also made a surprise announcement: it’s creating a new regional support fund with $100 million annually.
The opposition questioned the government’s motives.
“They need good news. They need to have something new to offer municipalities because they cut in the pacte fiscal $200 million per year,” Martin Ouellet, Parti Quebecois municipal affairs critic, said.
The government is tabling three separate bills. One is for all municipalities, another would give Quebec City special status as a provincial capital and another would give Montreal official status as a metropolis.
More details about how this will affect Montreal are expected in the coming days.