New law would give Denis Coderre too much power, Montreal borough mayors say
2 mayors say the issue has led to them consider reviving demerger debate
The mayors of six Montreal boroughs say they're worried a proposed provincial law will give the mayor of Montreal too much control.
If passed, Bill 120 would give Montreal's city council the ability to more easily retain some of the powers it has already taken away from the boroughs.
The mayors of the Plateau–Mont-Royal, Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie, Outremont, Anjou, Île-Bizard–Sainte-Geneviève and LaSalle boroughs say the law would lead to too much centralization.
They are all either part of the Opposition party Projet Montréal or independent, borough-level parties.
"[Denis Coderre] is a pyromaniac to whom we're giving all the tools to start a fire," said François Croteau, mayor of Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie.
The mayors say the percentage of roads that fall under the central city's responsibility has doubled, from 24 per cent to 52 per cent of the network, since 2014. Coderre was elected mayor in 2013.
Responsibility for garbage removal and transportation, some snow removal activities and everything related to paid parking with the exception of distributing vignettes is also no longer managed by the boroughs.
Centralization of property management is expected to begin in January.
Demerger debate reopened?
As an example of the impact centralization has had on Anjou, Mayor Luis Miranda pointed to his borough's snow removal procedures.
When 15 to 20 centimetres of snow falls, the borough would clear it in 48 hours at a cost of $25,000 per kilometre. The centralized system takes an extra five to 12 hours and costs about $35,000 per kilometre, he said.
Miranda and LaSalle Mayor Manon Barbe say the issue has led to them consider reviving the demerger debate.
"The structure is there. It's clear that every time Denis Coderre centralizes things, he is removing that structure because he wants to be sure we can't go back," Miranda said.
"Montreal isn't suffering because 15 cities demerged in the western part of the island."
Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre says he has the support of the province and that demergers are not feasible.
"There will be no demerger process. We have to stop living in the past," he said.
Referendums on municipal demergers took place in 2004, three years after the mergers.
Based on a report by Radio-Canada