Bill 120: towards new referendums demergers in Montreal?

The mayors of several boroughs have a virulent output today against the draft provincial government legislation that will give the mayor Denis Coderre power to repatriate more easily powers of local governments.

Disgruntled mayors of Anjou and LaSalle even considering holding referendums to demerge from the City of Montreal, if the bill was passed in the National Assembly.

“If I had known what I know today, for sure I would have fought for demerge [in 2004],” denounced the LaSalle Borough Mayor Manon Barbe at a press briefing at city Hall. “During the elections, I put my face on a post telling my citizens must stay in Montreal because we have a written agreement with Quebec and Montreal the boundaries, powers and governance of the districts will be not affected. Since the election of [Denis Coderre in] 2013 is a piece after another that part, “she added.

Manon Barbe was surrounded by the mayor of L’Île-Bizard-Sainte-Geneviève Normand Marrinacci, mayor of Anjou, Luis Miranda, the mayor of Outremont, Marie Cinq-Mars, the mayor of the Plateau-Mont-Royal, Luc Ferrandez and the mayor of Rosemont, François Croteau.

The mayors, who all serve in the opposition have against Bill 120, now debated in Quebec.

If adopted, the Charter of the City of Montreal will be amended to facilitate the centralization of powers of the districts to the city center. Mayor Denis Coderre, who undertook a major centralization of transaction therefore would elbow in the final year of his term.

“Me I have a lot of people who ask me why it is not outside of Montreal? We’re really disgusted, “said the mayor Marrinacci.

What does Bill 120?

Snow removal, parking, trash removal, management of much of the local streets and the Regulation on pitbulls are examples of rounding skills that have recently been repatriated under the umbrella of the city center. To council today, the management of all vehicles borough was added to the list.

Currently, if the center wants to exercise the jurisdiction of a district, it can do so for a period of two years if the council adopts a resolution to 50% + 1 vote of its members. But to extend this power for two more years, it must obtain the support of two thirds of the elected.

Bill 120 would reduce the downforce levels required after two years of two-thirds to 50% + 1.

“Imagine if Canada could amend the constitution with only 50% of the voting provinces,” thundered the mayor François Croteau.

The elected mayor Coderre party majority, but do not hold the two-thirds vote in the municipal council. It is clear that the mayor has not enough support among opposition councilors continue his great centralization project.

“We have a mayor who is in complete power-trip and a government that is trying to provide downright matches and the powder keg. It is a pyromaniac who gives to all instruments to fire. Denis Coderre never committed during the election campaign to take all those powers, it is a denial of democracy, “insisted Francois Croteau.

Reactions Coderre and Coiteux

Called to respond to its exit from the municipal council, the mayor Coderre believes that reform he implemented “works very well”.

“We are in the process of giving a city. The population tells us, we want harmony. Do we need to have 19 kinds of contracts? “Has he asked. “Sure, there are people trying to protect their territories and it is people who are in the opposition too. But at the end of the line, we invest more, “added the mayor Coderre.

By the voice of his press secretary, Marie-Eve Pelletier, Minister of Municipal Affairs Martin Coiteux explained his bill.

“Without the proposed legislative amendment, the City of Montreal could not, after 31 December 2016 if it does not get the two-thirds vote of the City Council, be responsible for some services, such as places of operation elimination of snow, despite having a majority of the board. The City therefore might not be able to continue to exercise certain powers, which would involve a costly reorganization of its operations and impact its 2017 budget, “she said in an email Thursday.