Tax hike for Chateauguay in 2020

The tax bills for Chateauguay ratepayers will increase by 4.9% in 2020. Chateauguay City Council adopted the 2020 budget by a 5-3 margin at a special meeting held on December 9.  The value of an average Chateauguay house rose from $243,700 to $259,400 due to the new evaluation role which will come into force in 2020. Thus, for an average home, the tax bills will rise from $3,209 to $3.366, an increase of $157. The major part of the increase ($109) is attributed to the different tariffs that are identical for each household, such as the tarifs for drinking water and waste water, garbage collection, recycling, collection of organic materials.and for the Régie Beau-Chateau (outdoor swimming pool and the Sportplex). The contribution of each citizen to the latter network is rising from $38 to $87. Budget reaches $100 million The budget of the City of Chateauguay will pass the cap of $100 million in 2020. It was at $96 million in 2019. The City foresees increasing its revenues by $3.8 million in taxes, especially thanks to the new commercial, industrial and residential properties on its territory. Of the $3.8 million, $1.1 million will also come from the increase in the property tax rate of 2%. The different increases in the salaries of City employees and the Régie Beau-Chateau  are the main causes of the rise in expenses. An evaluation exercise of the expenses was done in each City departments this year. “Management worked very, very hard,” explained treasurer/financial director Martin Gendron.”We sat down with the director general and assured ourselves that each of the amounts requested in terms of the budget is justified.” The $100 million cap does not delight the Chateauguay Mayor, however. “We can always have lots of services from Providence (...) It costs the taxpayers a fortune. I hope we will spend less than $100 million,” Mayor Routhier remarked. Chateauguay City Council adopted the 2020 budget by a 5-3 margin at a special meeting held on December 9. Independent councillor Francis Le Borgne had asked for the vote. He voted against the adoption. “This budget is calamitous for a very particular reason. There is a total lack of initiative regarding the research of new taxations and new tariff rates,” he indicated. Le Borgne was referring to different taxation possibilities presented at a meeting of the Union of Quebec Municipalities such as: taxing more enterprises generating risk; vacant buildings; contaminated lots, and detached billboard panels. Councillor Marcel Deschamps was also opposed to the budget. “For several years each time there was a tax increase, I have voted against it, I find that people are overtaxed and instead of cutting down on expenses, we prefer to increase the taxes,” he noted. Fellow councillor Eric Corbeil also voted against, but made no comment when it was his turn to speak. Alderman Eric Allard voted in favour of the budget, but specified that the City should study  taxation alternatives. Tensions between Le Borgne and Mayor Routhier Le Borgne criticized the attitude of Chateauguay Mayor Pierre-Paul Routhier during the exchanges between elected officials about the budget. “”In my email bearing criticism of the budget with constructive words on November 22, you replied to me uniquely with some scatological elements aimed at me,” Le Borgne observed. (...) I find that low and small, especially when the same emails were also addressed to other members of council, as well as department heads from City management. You have the attitude of a camp follower and a tactless person.” Routhier had no comment during the assembly regarding those words. (Translation Dan Rosenburg)