Montreal finance commission makes 32 recommendations to city’s capital works budget

Montreal’s finance commission has wrapped up its work studying the city’s $6.4-billion capital works budget.

The 12-member commission is calling for 32 amendments to the city’s budget — a blueprint on the major infrastructure projects that Montreal is planning during the next three years.

If adopted, the recommendations could give suburban cities and towns on the island a lot more power.

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For one, the 15 demerged municipalities would have the power to oversee work on new bike paths.

That authority is welcomed by the mayor of Beaconsfield.

Georges Bourelle was frustrated last year when there were problems with the construction of a new bike lane on Elm Avenue but the mayor could do little to intervene because the project was managed by the Montreal agglomeration council — meaning, Beaconsfield had no say.

Another recommendation involves informing elected officials when major public works projects are no longer a top priority.

That was the case with the Cavendish Boulevard.

$13 million is being set aside during the next three years to help eventually connect the two urban boulevards — an amount far less than some anticipated.

The city needs to negotiate a deal to build on rail yards owned by CP and CN.

”Quicker we can get an agreement on a deal with the CN and CP rail yards, the quicker we can move ahead,” Saint-Laurent Borough Mayor Alan DeSousa told Global News.

The capital works budget will be voted by the Montreal City Council on Tuesday and by the Agglomeration Council on Wednesday.