STEPHEN RICCIO
MUNICIPALITY OF PONTIAC Jan. 12, 2021
The Municipality of Pontiac (MoP) held its first council meeting of the New Year on Jan. 12, connecting virtually via Zoom to discuss the 2021 tax increase, chemin Tremblay rehabilitation and other issues.
Mayor Joanne Labadie and all six councillors: Tom Howard, Scott McDonald, Nancy Draper Maxsom, Susan McKay, Leslie-Anne Barber and Isabelle Patry, were in attendance, in addition to several municipal staff members and a handful of residents who had requested access to the Zoom link.
Public questions/Beach association
The public question period featured one question regarding the municipal tax rate increase, which is broken down below. The rest of the questions were related to the ongoing concerns of . . .
residents whose Luskville beach association, which is located at the end of chemin des Pères Dominicains, has been looking to gain official status in order to receive municipal funding for snow removal.
Prior to residents of that community asking questions, Labadie offered an explanation as to why the municipality was still at a place where they were unable to provide a timeline on when they would be able to supply that funding. She said that the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) had informed the municipality on several occasions over the years that its existing agreements with private beach associations didn’t conform with ministry guidelines. With a real threat of further sanctions, Labadie said that the municipality decided it was best to cooperate with the MMAH and avoid being penalized for all of its assistance to private beach associations.
Several different residents chimed in following Labadie’s explanation, with the main sentiment being that it was unfair that they were in a position where a past municipal mistake meant they would have to wait for snow-clearing funding while other associations continue to have theirs.
One resident suggested that the entire municipality should risk the sanctions in the spirit of fairness to the residents within her association. Labadie rebutted that such sanctions would also be unfair, as all residents of the municipality would pay for them.
Speaking to THE EQUITY after the meeting, Labadie explained that the municipality’s non-conforming policy relating to beach associations is just now becoming a point of focus after years of the MMAH sending letters but ultimately not providing further recommendations.
“So now for the first time, we actually have municipal affairs and they’re going to actually work with us in ensuring that our policy in support of private roads conforms to the municipal code and the Municipal Powers Act,” she said. “So we have an action plan on moving forward and we hope that we’ll be able to have a bylaw that will conform in the coming months. But in the meantime, we have reserved the funds for this association in the budget, but we need to get the blessing from municipal affairs before we release those funds.”
Pontiac tax increase
The MoP officially passed a municipal tax rate increase of 1.9 per cent. The increase is slightly down from 2020’s, which was 2.4 per cent.
The standard tax rate for every $100 assessed was $0.6975 in 2020, and is now at $0.7111 per $100 of property. For example, the standard assessment for a ratepayer who owns a $248,000 property, which is the average value of MoP properties according to Mayor Joanne Labadie, would be $1,763.53, compared to $1,729.80 in 2020.
As stated in the 2021 budget that was released in December, the total tax revenue will be $5,775,436. Other slight increases were made to: the non-resident property rate – up from $1.0596 to $1.0690 per $100 – the rate for apartments with more than six units – up from $0.7561 to $0.7627 – the vacant lot rate – up from $1.2601 to $1.2712 – and the residential and agricultural property rates, which went up from $0.6301 to $0.6356.
The tax rates were passed by the council through a majority decision, with councillors Howard, Barber, Patry and McKay voting in favour and councillors McDonald and Maxsom Draper voting against.
Speaking to The Equity after the meeting, McDonald explained his vote against.
“During COVID, and we did have a surplus last year, I don’t see any reason that we should be raising the taxes, especially now,” he said.
“There’s a saying that somebody hit with me the other day, ‘We’re all in the same boat, which is not true, we’re all in the same storm,’ because everybody is different and some people are suffering and some people aren’t,” he added. “There are some people that are a little worried about what’s going to happen in the future and I don’t think it’s a good year to be putting up the taxes.”
Asked whether the budget was passed with the 2021 tax rate factored into it, McDonald pointed out that he thought further changes could still be made.
“It was all factored in but like I said we can still make cuts throughout the year,” he said.
The 2021 budget, which had been passed in December, was voted for unanimously by the council.
Chemin Tremblay rehabilitation
The council voted on a motion to put out calls to tender for the rehabilitation of a portion of chemin Tremblay, and it passed via majority with Draper Maxsom registering as the lone voter against it.
The stretch of road in question would be 3 km and begin at Hwy. 148.
She pointed out that chemins Steele and Hammond were also in serious need of repairs, adding that she thought they should be prioritized over the stretch of chemin Tremblay.
Labadie replied by explaining that this decision had been made at budget planning, and she added that the repairs of all three roads was outlined on the three-year spending plan that was presented to council in December.
According to the triennial plan, $1 million would be spent on rehabilitating chemin Tremblay in 2021 while $100,000 would be spent on the rehabilitation of chemins Steele and Hammond in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
After the meeting, Labadie pointed out that it was puzzling how the three-year spending program was unanimously approved by the council, yet the rehabilitation motion received a vote against.
Labadie explained during the meeting that the municipality would be applying for a grant for the road project through the Ministry of Transport.
