De-merged cities concerned over their fair share of Montreal’s new spending budget

Day one into public hearings on Montreal’s massive new spending budget, the capital works budget, and already, many questions are emerging.

Some city councillors sitting on the finance commission that studies the $6.383-billion budget are wondering whether this is merely an academic exercise.

Westmount Mayor Christina Smith is concerned this budget is being introduced very late.

“To go out for these projects is late. It will only be approved in mid-February,” Smith told Global News at Montreal city hall.

The $6.383-billion budget outlines Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante’s spending priorities for the next three years.

The agglomeration council — which includes suburban cities and towns — is responsible for more than one-third of that amount.

Some of the members fear they won’t get their bang for their buck.

“When I look at what we asked for and what is in the budget for 2018, obviously we didn’t get anywhere near what we would have liked to see,” Beaconsfield Mayor Georges Bourelle told Global News.

Nearly $35 million is earmarked for upgrades to two downtown parks; Place du Canada park and Dorchester Square park.

Taxpayers living in the de-merged cities are on the hook to pay for some of the renovation work.

The same is true for $50 million to build new bike paths or improve existing ones on the island. Westmount is hoping to get some of that money.

“There was a commitment for some investments into the bike path along de Maisonneuve (Boulevard) to make it safer. I mean, that is like a bike auto-route there so we do need to invest in that,” Smith said.

The $6.4-billion capital works budget is almost the same as last year. One big difference — a lot more of the money this year will be borrowed. And that could cost everyone.

“If we’re paying more in interest, then correspondingly, there will be less money available for services to residents. So I think there is a need to cap the debt and take measures to reduce the debt rather than spending willfully without having any concerns of what the debt will do,” Saint-Laurent Borough Mayor Alan DeSousa told Global News.

The finance commission has scheduled six days of hearings for the budget. After that, it will be voted on by the entire city council.