Tax grab turns into burlesque

by Peter Trent, Special to The Gazette

In trying to follow the developments in the story of the $500-million recurring bill to Quebec municipalities, one is confronted with more twists and turns than the sinuous streets descending to Quebec's Lower Town. Unfortunately, this tortuous tale masks the simplicity of just what the Quebec government is trying to do. Its goal is to balance its own budget on the backs of municipalities. It gets the credit; the municipalities get the blame. It doesn't really give a fig how it's done. It just wants to get it done.

The hypocrisy behind this act of fiscal piracy becomes clear when one discovers that, on a $40-billion budget, Quebec is only cutting some $250 million. Yet on total municipal budgets of $8 billion, Quebec demands a contribution of $500 million a year. And this is on top of some $1.3 billion per year extracted from the property-tax field since 1992, appropriated (or, more accurately, expropriated) by Quebec.

If it was Municipal Affairs Minister Rémy Trudel's aim to set the whole municipal world fighting among themselves, he succeeded. Rural vs. urban, city vs. village, suburb vs. centre city: each succeeding tag team went into the ring, slugging it out as to how the bill would be divided up among them. It was not an edifying sight.

Many commentators have been yammering on about how stupid the municipalities were in not sticking together. But division was inevitable. Once Mr. Trudel bought off the six centre cities by promising them a cap of 2.7 per cent of their budgets, he effectively put them on the sidelines, cheering for him.

This is why Montreal Mayor Pierre Bourque has been so silent about this downloading. He did not want to bite the hand that promised to feed him or, at least, the hand that promised not take away too much from him. The fact that his suburban partners on the island of Montreal were being gored did not raise one jot of sympathy.

(Besides, he said the other day, they should all be merged into his city in order to bail it out.)

The sidelining of the six centre cities of Quebec left the two municipal unions to battle it out: the Union des Municipalités Régionale de Comté du Québec, a rurally based union representing 20 per cent of Quebec's population, and the Union des Municipalités du Québec, which represents the (supposedly) more urban cities that make up 80 per cent of the population.

The UMQ immediately shot itself in the foot by forcing its members to decide as to how the amount should be divvied up, creating winners and losers within its own ranks. It passed a formal resolution to the effect that the bill must be uniformly (not equitably) distributed a formula that would cost the average suburban homeowner on Montreal Island hundreds of dollars a year.

Laval and Longueuil originally trumpeted this uniform treatment as eminently fair that is, until they, too, demanded the coveted "centre city" status and, therefore, be eligible for preferred treatment.

Then, the fight deteriorated into low comedy. Mr. Trudel triumphantly declared 10 days ago he had a deal as to how the $500 million will be shared. Well, a deal with the UMRCQ. Well, a deal with the president of the UMRCQ. One small problem. A day later, that union flatly rejected the deal. Wiping pie off his face, the minister had to start all over again.

Then last Thursday, Premier Bouchard stepped in with a "final offer" that sported a 25-per- cent discount off the original price tag of $500 million per year. A discount for nearly everyone except guess what? the Island of Montreal.

What did the Montreal Island suburban mayors do during all this? They got out before the burlesque began. They quit the UMQ when it adopted that anti-island resolution.

They were refused a seat at the negotiating table, which wound up with no representative from the entire island of Montreal.

But five members of the 10-member team come from the UMRCQ. Once again, the rural tail was wagging the urban dog.

Finally, the Conference of Suburban Mayors was offered a seat, but by that time the table would have been more appropriate furniture for the Mad Hatter's tea party. The conference declined, having hardened its position and not wanting to have to endorse the results of any negotiation.

The conference is even more confident it took the right course in going it alone, especially after some 5,000 irate citizens came to the Verdun Auditorium to send a message to Quebec they wanted no part in this irresponsible, improvised, inequitable tax grab.

Please read Peter Trent on Amalgamation

The Quebec government recently launched a campaign against tax dodgers. It should look in the mirror.

• Peter Trent, The Gazette Board of Contributors. Peter Trent is mayor of Westmount and president of the Conference of Montreal Suburban Mayors. The views of members do not necessarily reflect those of The Gazette.

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