Demergers disappoint Montreal suburbs

On the one-year anniversary of Quebec's demergers, many suburban mayors say they were shortchanged, and vow to fight the province until they get their due.

"The whole demerger battle was not about taxation or lowering taxes. It was about local democracy. We wanted to have our town hall back, we wanted to have our local government, because that's what the citizens want," said Maria Tutino, mayor of Baie d'Urfé, a demerged city on the West Island.

Suburbs that chose to demerge, in a series of referendums inJune 2004, were seeking a voice and political representation. In some ways, they've rediscovered their township, Tutino said.

"During the merger years, we didn't exist, our town hall closed, [and] we saw a reduction in services, with a 30 per cent tax increase. At the local level [now] it's been an absolute success."

In the well-heeled suburb of Westmount, now a demerged city, there is a sense that residents have regained general control over neighbourhood affairs, said Mayor Karin Marks. "At least they know locally who is responsible."

Butwhat's missing is a feeling of empowerment, and control over decisions, Marks said. Demerged mayors believe they don't have enough say andvoting power on the agglomeration council, the representative body thatoversees shared municipal services.

Taxes from demerged cities contribute about 21 per cent of the agglomeration budget, but demerged mayors only representabout 17 per cent of the votes, a fraction lower than quorum.

The demerged mayors are at such odds with Montreal mayor Gérald Tremblay over the agglomeration council's function that some, including Marks, haven't spoken to him in months. It's not an ideal situation, she admitted — but until demerged cities have more say, and more pull on council, she said they won't back down.

Quebec's Liberal government is to blame for the agglomeration council's dysfunction, because they created it in the first place, said Bob Benedetti, mayor of Beaconsfield.

In the last provincial election, the Liberals campaigned on a promise to undo forced mergers. "Jean Charest said: 'I will give you your cities back,'" Benedetti recalled. "He won an election on that, and he only half-delivered."

Now, it's up to the province toreconfigure the agglomeration counciland give demerged cities a bigger say in spending and services, Benedetti said.

If it doesn't happen, the Liberals may end up payingin the next provincial election,Benedetti warned.

"I think that the Liberals have underestimated the anger of people being overtaxed the way they have been: without a say. Thirty years of being told: 'You have to vote for us, or else you're supporting separation from Canada' I think has worn thin with people," he said.

Demergersat a glance

In 2002, nearly 100 suburbs across Quebec were forced to give up their local governments and services and become part of mega-cities, under a merger law introduced by the former Parti Québécois government. The process was supposed to be be a cost-saving measure.

In the 2003 provincial election, the Quebec Liberal party campaigned on a promise to allow surburbs to demerge if they wanted.

Suburbs held referendums on June 20, 2004, and dozens voted in favour of demerging, a sort of symbolic "divorce".