Mayor Plante's 1st budget sure to pass Wednesday, despite opposition criticism

Montreal's opposition is calling for changes to the first budget put forward by Valrie Plante's Projet Montral administration.

First and foremost, Ensemble Montral formerlyquipe Denis Coderrewants contentious property tax hikes to bereduced to no greater than the increase in the cost of living, as Plante promised in her electoral campaign.

But Plante isn't having it.

The budget is sure to be adopted with or without the opposition'ssupport, sinceProjetMontral has a majority on council. Beyond that,the mayor says her party wouldn't be in this situation if not for her predecessors.

"We're in this situation because of you," Plante told interimEnsembleMontralleader Lionel Perez, referring to the $358-million hole her team discovered in the budget the day after itselection victory.

Discussionheats up

The discussion between the two leaders got heated during councilMonday, with Plante telling Perez: "Your outcry over the last few weeks doesn't impress me much."

Perez, in turn, accused Plante of not holding to her campaign promise that the tax increases would be adjusted according to inflation.

• Valrie Plante's reality check, and a promise broken

The average tax increase for homeowners is 3.3 per cent. The rate of inflation is projected to be2.1 per cent, according to the Conference Board of Canada.

Planteheld fast, despite recent criticisms coming from residents in demerged municipalities who say their taxes are being increased unfairly.

• 'Enough is enough': West Island residents push back against tax hikes

In addition to the tax reduction,EnsembleMontralalso suggested that a $10-million fund be created to givefinancial support to merchants in constructionzones to help mitigate any loss of business.

"Our concern is that the merchants will spend money and not be compensated and be reimbursed for that, so we think that it's useful to have this $10-million fund," saidSt-Laurent borough Mayor AlanDeSousa, who also serves asthe party's finance critic.

In an interview with CBCDaybreak Monday, DeSousasaid the suggestions were not about partisanship but about helping the mayor stickto her campaign promise by finding alternate ways to present a balanced budget.

Council to vote Wednesday

Earlier Monday, the city's permanent finance committee, which includes representatives of the demergedcities of Westmount and Beaconsfield, voted to recommend the adoption of the budget.

Four of the 12 members voted against the budget's adoption:Beaconsfield Mayor George Bourelle, Westmount Mayor Christina Smith, DeSousa and his fellow Ensemble Montralcouncillor,Richard Guay.

City council will vote on the budget Wednesday.