Blanc-Sablon removes Facebook post listing people who haven't paid taxes - Action News
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Montreal

Blanc-Sablon removes Facebook post listing people who haven't paid taxes

The Town of Blanc-Sablon on Quebec's Lower North Shore has taken down a list of people who haven't paid their taxes off of Facebook after criticism from residents.

Residents to file formal complaint after personal information posted to social media site

The mayor of Blanc-Sablon on Quebec's Lower North Shore took the unusual step of posting a list to Facebook of those who haven't paid their taxes. (Paul Sakuma/Associated Press)

A town on Quebec's lower North Shore has taken down a list of people who haven't paid their taxes off of Facebookfollowing widespreadcriticism from residents.

Several people in Blanc-Sablon, however,arestill planning to file a formal complaint about the move.

A spreadsheet with the names of those who hadn't paid their municipal taxes was posted to Facebook. (Facebook)
Anthony Dumas, a resident and former mayor of Blanc-Sablon, said posting the names on the social media site unfairly vilified people who may be having a difficult time.

"Some of them are single parents with four kids, or three kids.Some of them are single seniors, very low income," he said.

"People on the lower North Shore don't have a very high income. Also our tax is one of the highest."

Blanc-SablonMayorArmandJoncashassaidthe municipality recovered $20,000 in unpaid taxes the day after it
posted the names on the social media site.

"This year we had no choice, with$1.4 million in taxes, and at the end of the year we were still missing $200,000," hesaid.

Joncassaidthat in the absence of local newspapers inBlanc-Sablon, he decided with his municipalcouncil to publish this information online.

Despite taking down the post, he maintains the move waslegal.