Suburban mayors vote down Montreal budget over lack of consultation

In a defying vote, mayors in suburbs in Montreal voted against the city’s operating budget during the agglomeration council Friday morning.

In a press release from the Association of Suburban Municipalities (ASM), Beaconsfield mayor and vice-chairman of the Montreal Finance and Administration Commission, Georges Bourelle, said although the contents of the budget are supported, the organization deplores a lack of consultation from the City of Montreal.

READ MORE: What you need to know about Montreal’s 2017 budget

“Establishing budget guidelines and priorities beforehand is essential to the preparation of any budget,” Bourelle said.

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“Moreover, sharing such information with your partners is only common sense.”

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The organization is suggesting the city share the details of its proposed budget to the agglomeration during preparations.

READ MORE: Montreal’s Olympic stadium a budget buster: study

The mayor of Westmount and president of the ASM, Peter Trent, said it’s time for the City of Montreal to change how it treats the suburbs during budget consultations.

“Since 2010, I have deplored the lack of pre-established guidelines and objectives in the Montreal budget process,” Trent said.

“We are presented with a budget that’s a ‘fait accompli’ every year. This charade was one of the main reasons I resigned from the commission in September.”

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According to the press release, the ASM contributes $410 million in support of agglomeration services.

READ MORE: Mount Royal granite sculptures over budget at $3.45M

The combined population of the Montreal agglomeration is 244,670.