Montrealers Hit With City Tax Hikes

Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay. Photograph by: Pierre Obendrauf, The Gazette

From The Montreal Gazette:

MONTREAL - The recession may be over, but Montreal taxpayers have been handed a bill for weathering the global economic meltdown, with residential tax rates across the city increasing an average of 5.3 per cent while the tax on commercial and other non-residential properties has been hiked by an average of six per cent.

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Update #1: An array of tax hikes in new city budget; suburbs hit hard -- CTV
Update #2: Montreal property taxes going up -- CBC
Update #3: Montreal 2010 budget: surplus gone, taxes up -- Montreal Gazette

My Comment: There is no commitment or comment for tax hikes next year .... which means that there will be more increases in to the pipeline. Sigh .... we are screwed and screwed.

Montreal Taxpayers Vote With Feet

People keep choosing off-island suburbs to live instead of staying in Montreal. Photograph by: MARIE-FRANCE COALLIER, THE GAZETTE

From Canada.com:

Exodus to off-island suburbs; Budget-maker touts city's attributes.

Alan DeSousa is an accountant by training and a politician by choice. As vice-chairperson of the Montreal executive committee and the man in charge of the finance portfolio, he possesses the skill set to oversee Montreal's $4-billion budget for 2010.

But DeSousa acknowledges there's more to budget-making than ensuring revenues are not exceeded by expenses.

(Montreal, like every other municipality in Quebec, is forbidden by law to run a deficit.)

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My Comment: 10 years ago .... I owed 3 duplexes. I got rid of two of them last year because I was getting fed up with paying high taxes on property that I did not live in. I am now at a crossroads .... should I leave my home in LaSalle and move to my farm .... or should I stay. At present, I pay $5,800 in taxes on my home .... if it should go by above $6,500 .... it is goodbye for me. Sigh .... after living in LaSalle for 50 years .... I will be gone.

Montreal Suburbs Decry 13% Hike In Agglo Expenses

Mayor Gérald Tremblay's administration issued levy notices to Montreal's 15 suburbs on Dec. 18, 2009. Photograph by: Pierre Obendrauf, The Gazette

From The Montreal Gazette:

'Alarming' increases driven by 'runaway spending': Westmount mayor.

MONTREAL – Montreal island suburbs have been told to expect an average 13-per-cent increase in their share of agglomeration expenses in the 2010 city of Montreal budget to be made public Wednesday.

Suburban mayors make reference to the 13-per-cent figure in a news release they issued Monday morning, two days in advance of the Jan. 13 budget date. The mayors say they are upset that they didn’t have a greater say in determining agglomeration spending for 2010, and accused the Tremblay administration of a lack of rigour in spending restraint.

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My Comment: 13% increase .... I will also call this "runaway spending".

Montreal Taxes Going Up

Montreal Mayor Gérald Tremblay will unveil the city's $4.3-billion budget for 2010 on Wednesday. Photograph by: Pierre Obendrauf, The Gazette

Mayor Tremblay's Challenge: Avoid Budget Backlash -- Montreal Gazette

Tax hikes are likely to be announced Wednesday to make up shortfall.

"The problem is that we only, or almost only, hear from people who are against something; we rarely hear from those in favour."

– Montreal Mayor Gérald Tremblay, May 22, 2009

MONTREAL – It isn't as if we weren't warned.

When Montreal Mayor Gérald Tremblay unveils the city's $4.3-billion budget for 2010 on Wednesday, he will be detailing the height, weight and ugliness of the fiscal gorilla he and his councillors have been alluding to for much of the last year.

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Update: Montreal homeowners should expect tax hike -- CBC

My Comment: I thought that when the suburbs were forced into joining Montreal .... our taxes will be going down or stable. But since amalgamation my taxes have more than doubled .... and who knows what this week.

Hmmmm .... I/we have been lied to (again) by our politicians.

Expect Boost In Montreal Property Values

Montreal Skyline

From The Montreal Gazette:

It's "way too early to tell" how big the boost in Montreal Island's municipal evaluations will be in a new tax roll to take effect Jan. 1, 2011, Montreal city spokesperson Patricia Lowe said Tuesday.

The current roll values all buildings and land across the island at $195.7 billion.

Preliminary work began last summer on the upcoming three-year roll. To be unveiled next September, it will provide the basis for municipal taxes levied through the end of 2013 -- –from the western to eastern tips of the island.

Michel Benoit will be keeping an eagle eye on the process.

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My Comment: Here comes the ENORMOUS tax increases.

Major Tax Hikes Loom In Montreal Suburbs

Mayor Gérald Tremblay's administration issued levy notices to Montreal's 15 suburbs on Dec. 18, 2009. While the figures are confidential for now, sources say property taxes will increase 10 to 12 per cent next year. Photograph by: Pierre Obendrauf, The Gazette

From The Montreal Gazette:

Island municipalities fear city is trying to off-load costs on them.

MONTREAL – Property taxes are poised to increase significantly in Montreal Island suburbs next year thanks to higher levies from the city of Montreal for shared services.

The Tremblay administration sent out the levy notices to the 15 suburbs late Friday afternoon, that being the preferred time in politics to deliver bad news.

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My Comment: Offloading Montreal's debt and problems onto the suburbs .... I am not surprised. As for my municipal tax bill .... it has doubled since amalgamation.

City Might Look At New Taxes: Mayor

Montreal City Hall

From The Montreal Gazette:

Things may be tough all over, but unless the city of Montreal can come up with a $100-million cut in expenses, things might be getting even tougher for local taxpayers.

"There's a limit to what we can do as far as expenses are concerned," Mayor Gérald Tremblay said yesterday, "Can we look at revenues? We've always said we have additional (taxation) powers that were given to us by the Quebec government, but before we do that, we'd have to talk to our partners. We're not going to do this alone. There are a lot of stakeholders involved...

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