Beau-Château Sports and Recreation Board :Who pays for Sportplex, Aquatic Complex

The City of Chateauguay will pay a share of $1,009,434 for 2020 to the Beau-Chateau Sports and Recreation Board that manages the Sportplex in Chateauguay and the outdoor aquatic Complex in Beauharnois. The Beauharnois share is $270,275. Translation Dan Rosenburg The two cities are sharing the bill according to the size of their populations which are respectively 49,953 for Chateauguay and 13,374 for Beauharnois, according to the annual decree of the government. Chateauguay thus counts 79% of the total of 62,327 inhabitants and Beauharnois numbers 21%. The Beau-Château Sports and Recreation Board has adopted a budget of $2.2 million for 2020. Its revenues come from the coffers of Chateauguay and Beauharnois, but also from elsewhere. The organization foresees revenues of $941,050 ‘’furnished by the participants, the users, and perhaps also by sponsors,’’ indicated Chateauguay Mayor Pierre-Paul Routhier at the Chateauguay municipal council’s January public meeting. The share of the cities is thus 57% and that of the users and others comes to 43%. Two cities, two visions The two cities deduct the required sum in different ways from the pockets of their taxpayers. Chateauguay has decided to impose a tariff of $87 per unit of residential lodgings. ‘’Are you going to use the service more if your house is worth more? The pricing goes according to the usage. We imposed a tariff for all those who use it,’’ the Mayor justified. From its standpoint, Beauharnois pays its share with its property tax revenues, according to the value of the buildings. ‘’For Beauharnois, the contribution to the Beau-Chateau Board is of the same nature as our services offered to the population in the matter of sports and recreation installations (arena, skatepark, baseball fields, petanque facilities, etc.). Consequently, this expense is assumed by the general property tax and thus by all of the categories of buildings,’’ explained municipality spokesperson Stephanie Leduc Joseph. *The Beauharnois budget adopted on January 21 foresees a share of $357,017 but a part of that belongs to the year 2018.’’