A Budget Focusing on Maintening and Improving Services to Residents

The Borough's budget, which stood at $45,382,000 in 2008, has been increased to $46,897,500 for 2009. This 3.4% adjustment - which corresponds to the rise in the consumer price index - is devoted to maintaining, improving or adding proximity services, while the general administration budget continues to be under control, with a very small adjustment of 0.22%. As for revenues, LaSalle's 2009 budget is counting on total revenues of $1,895,300, up 17% over 2008.

"Since 2007, we have undertaken considerable efforts to catch up on the maintenance of our facilities and the rehabilitation of our infrastructures," pointed out Mayor Manon Barbe. "With our austerity and transparency, we have let LaSalle residents know, openly and truthfully, about the state of things in general and the state of our public finances, in particular. By reducing LaSalle residents' taxes to the level that they were some fifteen years ago, we have been able to restore a quality of services and infrastructures in LaSalle that is worthy of the best municipalities."

Although drawn up in a difficult financial context, the 2009 budget provides for significant added services for LaSalle residents, such as priority snow clearance of the 150 bus shelters, by snow loaders, to make life easier for public transit users and to encourage the use of mass transit; the opening of the library on Saturdays and Sundays in the summer; and the addition of a librarian who will devote her time, in particular, to the development of new clienteles for the library.

For 2009, Ville de Montréal has set the Borough's allotment at $38,458,500. LaSalle must make do with a shortfall of several million dollars, between its allotment and its operating expenses.

The three local taxes will be maintained in 2009 and will total $0.1699 per $100 of property assessment. A tax of $0.1266 corresponds to the difference between the allotment granted by the City and the Borough's actual expenses. The other two taxes are investments: $0.0131 in maintenance of the municipal buildings inventory and $0.0302 in repairs to streets and sidewalks—an amount that is being added to the one budgeted for the capital expenditure program. "Almost all these amounts are invested in services to residents and in repairs to roads, sidewalks, buildings and municipal facilities," pointed out Mayor Manon Barbe. "Although used at different levels and for different purposes, the local taxes will nonetheless form part of the budget reality of half of the boroughs in 2009."

The 2009-2011 CEP provides for investments of $2.6 million in 2009 for road and sidewalk repairs. In addition, $982,000 will be injected into ongoing improvements to parks, $500,000 into the vehicle purchase program, $150,000 into upgrading computer systems and $450,000 into pursuing the work involved in replacing street lighting with a whiter, energy-efficient type. And finally, the Borough is earmarking $450,000 from its CEP for a contribution to Ville de Montréal's development of an écocentre in LaSalle—the very first one to accommodate industrial firms as well.

Mayor Manon Barbe brought her presentation as follows: "My colleagues on Council and I have opted for a realistic, responsible budget that will make it possible for the Borough to reach three major objectives: to pursue strict management despite the many obligations and the increase in certain expenses that can't be avoided or reduced, to express our firm will to maintain—and even increase—the level and quality of services to residents, and also to make major investments in our roads, sidewalks and public facilities."