[VIDEO] A meeting of the municipal council of Havre-Saint-Pierre degenerates

Jean-François Racine

Thursday 22 February 2018 22:50

UPDATE
Thursday 22 February 2018 22:50

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At a meeting of the municipal council of Havre-Saint-Pierre, about 300 dissatisfied citizens demonstrated on Thursday evening, their disagreements about the increase of the land tax provided by the municipality.

A video of this evening very restless, is currently circulating online. At least six police officers of the Sûreté du Québec in uniform were on the scene, colleagues in civilian attire.

The small municipality must raise significantly its fees this year, which raises an outcry.

A petition has even been launched against the administration of mayor Berchmans Boudreau to oppose the initial increase of 19 % of the property tax.

“The mayor had chosen to cut the pear in two, with an increase of 10%, but it has not calmed down the game. In majority, the people were no more in agreement. The police did not have to intervene because there was no physical aggression”, explained the journalist Sophie-Anne Mailloux, of the local station HOUSE.

Two new taxes, one on wastewater and one on recycling, should add to the burden of families. The tax on water and waste must also increase.

At the special meeting of Thursday evening, the “law, decreeing the imposition of taxes and compensations for the year 2018” could not be adopted since the adjournment of the meeting was delivered prior to this point, provided the order of the day. The meeting is limited to 45 minutes.

With a population of 3400 inhabitants, Havre-Saint-Pierre can count on generous royalties Hydro-Québec, because of four dams on the Romaine river.

On the 5th of February, the city council has defended more than 400 people in anger, his last budget. Usually, a dozen citizens show up to meetings on a regular basis.

Another meeting should take place since the increase of fees has still not been ratified.