Boroughs are being shortchanged by city, Ensemble Montréal charges

Montreal’s opposition party criticized the Plante administration on Tuesday, claiming that boroughs are facing budget shortfalls that are leading to reduced library hours, unaddressed potholes, and decreased overtime for city workers.

Alan DeSousa, Ensemble Montréal’s finance critic and borough mayor of St-Laurent, highlighted the impact of the funding issues: “When you see potholes not being filled, sidewalks needing repairs, and park equipment requiring replacement, it’s a sign of insufficient manpower, and we’re struggling to get these tasks completed.”

In Montreal North, library hours are being cut due to insufficient funds for staff salaries, according to borough mayor Christine Black. “We’re reducing weekend hours and closing the libraries on Tuesdays,” Black said. “We were already offering more hours than average and our libraries are among the most visited in the city, so this was a tough decision.”

Ensemble Montréal has proposed a motion for review at next Monday’s council meeting, calling for an assessment of the boroughs' funding structure. This marks the second consecutive year the opposition has submitted such a motion, arguing that borough budgets have effectively been reduced as they face rising costs not matched by city allotments, such as municipal employee salaries.

Pierrefonds-Roxboro borough mayor Jim Beis noted the severity of the situation, stating that he has had to use his borough’s surplus to cover basic services like snow clearing. He also mentioned that residents are experiencing delays in receiving urgent responses due to the budget constraints.

The Gazette contacted the Plante administration for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.