City of Montreal clashes with boroughs over financing plan

The City of Montreal unveiled a new funding formula for the citys 19 boroughs Tuesday that wouldsee some gain and others lose their current share of city financing starting in 2015.

The reforms were announced Tuesday by Mayor Denis Coderre and Pierre Desrochers, head of the citys Executive Committee.

Of Montreal's19 boroughs, tenwouldsee their funding from the city increase. Nine would see their funding decline under the reforms.

Boroughs includingLasalle, Pierrefonds-Roxboro and Rivire-des-PrairiesPointe-aux-Trembleswouldbenefit under the new formula, which is to be rolled out over five years, beginning in 2015.

Outremont, Plateau-Mont-Royal, Ville-Marie and the Southwest borough are among those that would see big decreases in their city funding decrease over a ten-year period, starting next year.

The formula applies to funding for12 services including snow removal, water, parks, libraries and public health.

Coderre said the new formula responds to historic inequalities identified by a study of borough financing undertaken in 2012 and2013.

Equity or uniformity?

Its a matter of equity. Youre not losing. We are making sure that all Montrealers no matter where they live will have the same quality of service, Coderre said.

Wheres the equity in this?" asked PlateauMont-Royal MayorLucFerrandez, whose borough would see its budget reduced by 13 per cent under the scheme.

"Its based on uniformity, but its an unjust uniformity, he said,pointing out his borough with a population of 103,000 compared to 73,000 in Lasalle would end up with the same amount of money as Lasalle, despite being home to thousands of more businesses.

Ferrandez said the Plateau also hosts 300 public events a year and receives100,000 visitors a day.

Coderre, however, insists that such differences are being taken into account under the financing reforms.

Franois Croteau, mayor of theRosemont-La-Petite-Patrie borough, said the new formula will spark "chaos."

"It will mean the complete devastation of our boroughbudgets andthe closure of libraries and pools," he said.

OutremontMayorMarie Cinq-Mars was outraged by the financing reforms, which would see her borough lose nearly 20 per cent of itsfunding from the city over the next 10 years.

"It's totally unacceptable," she said. "Is it possible to compare a park near the city centre, where there are activities almost every weekend that we have to clean up after, and a park at the end of the island? It makes no sense. We can't accept this."

• Mobile users click here for a breakdown of the funding changes

A breakdown of the borough funding changes(Ville de Montral)