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Town of Beaconsfield says Montreal is operating up a steep tab in unjust bills it has handed on to the impartial municipality.
As a demerged metropolis that shares bills with Montreal, the West Island suburb is now suing for $15 million in what it says are unfair bills Montreal has handed on.
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Beaconsfield is one in every of 15 cities that demerged from Montreal in 2006. As a part of that settlement, an agglomeration council was set as much as handle island-wide providers like police and fireplace safety, arterial roads and water administration.
Nonetheless, Beaconsfield claims Montreal has violated a 2008 settlement for sharing bills that was arrange by the province. That settlement set the proportion share of island-wide bills. Since 2020, Montreal has elevated the share that demerged suburbs pay for island-wide providers, whereas diminishing its personal share, based on Bourelle.
“The residents of the demerged municipalities are paying 65 per cent extra per capita than residents of Montreal for a similar providers,” he mentioned. “There isn’t a justification for that.”
The unique lawsuit, launched in 2020, was for $4 million, however Beaconsfield has continued a operating tab of all the pieces it believes has been due. With annually, extra bills are being handed on unjustly, Bourelle mentioned. The full invoice Beaconsfield is claiming has now ballooned to $15 million, and can enhance to $19 million subsequent 12 months if nothing modifications, he added.
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“Nobody rescinded the 2008 settlement, and no negotiations occurred to determine a brand new system, so that ought to imply that the 2008 system must be revered.”
An overpayment of roughly $4 million per 12 months would quantity to six.5 per cent of Beaconsfield’s annual funds of roughly $60 million.
A courtroom date will doubtless be set for 2025, however Bourelle is hoping to get a gathering with a mediator and the town of Montreal within the subsequent few months in hopes of settling the matter.
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The opposite 14 suburban municipalities have up to now resisted the urge to affix the courtroom motion. Nonetheless, Dollard-des-Ormeaux Mayor Alex Bottausci seems to be contemplating the thought.
“The following step is we’re going to should go down a authorized route, as a result of this story can not proceed to be this manner,” Bottausci instructed the Montreal Gazette final week.
Beny Masella, the mayor of Montreal West and the president of the Affiliation of Suburban Municipalities, mentioned he’s hoping to barter a fairer deal.
“The share that demerged municipalities pay is rising by a a lot quicker charge than the town of Montreal, so we’re being penalized,” Masella instructed the Gazette earlier this month. “This isn’t unlawful, but it surely’s an abuse of energy.”
Bourelle estimates the island suburbs have had $122 million of bills that have been unfairly handed on.
“I believe they sincerely thought the town of Montreal would negotiate a brand new system with us, but it surely has turn out to be clear that no one goes to sit down down with us to barter a brand new sharing,” Bourelle mentioned.
The suburbs symbolize a minority on the agglomeration council, so even when they vote en bloc in opposition to the funds, there is no such thing as a likelihood of it being overturned. Additionally they have little enter into how the funds is ready by the town of Montreal.
A spokesperson for the town of Montreal didn’t return a request for remark at publication time.
jmagder@postmedia.com
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