“The residents of the Cecil-P.-Newman district deserve to have a Borough Councillor who is committed to representing their interests. Michael Vadacchino is a man of conviction; he believes and defends his ideas with vigour. I am impressed by his detailed knowledge of issues and by his ability to put things in perspective. Our approach is similar,” Benoit Labonté said. For us, this partial election is a referendum on how Manon Barbe manages the city. There are many bad decisions being made; this is the ideal occasion for residents to send a clear message and to assess the current administration.”
Experienced candidateA resident of LaSalle since 1971 and a real estate agent since 1995, Michael Vadacchino is not a greenhorn in politics as he sat as municipal counsellor for the City of LaSalle before becoming a Vision Montréal candidate for Borough Mayor in 2005. “I am happy to join the team of the official opposition party and future Montreal Mayor Benoit Labonté. I work towards the elimination of the surtax, towards transparency in the administration and for the public safety of citizens – key themes of my political campaign. In 2007 we fought for the undemocratic application of the surtax which is still in effect today.”
Against local taxesBenoit Labonté is committed to abolishing local taxes imposed by the present administration. “That’s our firm commitment.We will increase the amount of transfers from the City of Montreal to the boroughs. When no one is contesting them, elected officials tend to become lax and arrogant. When $8 million is added to a budget of about $36 million to pay for basics, there is a serious management problem.”
If he is elected, Michael Vadacchino will be alone in challenging the six elected officials of the party in power. “It’s a challenge that does not scare me. They are all from the same party making it possible for them to impose the surtax.”
