Echoes from Council

Former Councillor Oksana Kaluzny raised the question of the local tax or the surtax of 20 cents for every $100.00 of the evaluation imposed in the last few years. She mentioned that other Boroughs imposing a local tax did it based on the proportion of one, two or three under $100.00. “You have lost touch with the budget because you’re spending more than what you’re receiving. Is it because it isn’t your money? You should cut out the fat like Accent is doing, as an example.”

Mayor Manon Barbe replied: “the local tax has two purposes: the first purpose is to continue providing services to the population. Residents want good roads. In previous years, LaSalle invested $1,250,000.00 annually on roads but with all the costs going up, our infrastructure is getting old; this amount is far from being sufficient. With respect to the local tax, a large sum goes to infrastructure like streets and sidewalks. A sum of $1 million per year is allotted for the maintenance of public buildings that belong to our people - City Hall, the Henri-Lemieux Centre, arenas, park chalets. Other boroughs either closed an arena or a pool or obtained funds from their surplus. We have made enlightened decisions for the benefit of residents.”

Councillor Vincenzo Cesari will serve as Acting Mayor until December 31. Borough Councillor for the Cecil P. Newman district, Mr. Cesari was a Councillor of the Opposition for 14 years and succeeded in getting himself elected as an independent Councillor. Since the 2005 elections, he has been a member of Mayor Gérald Tremblay’s team.

Officials offered their condolences to the family of Mrs. Anna Rovira who passed away recently. Mrs. Rovira was Director of the Department of Culture of the ancient city of LaSalle from 1960 to December 31, 1987, the year she retired. She founded the library on Lafleur Street before L'Octogone opened.