The mayor tries to scare citizens by insisting on the total cost ($60 M max.) and on debt as the only solution.
He tries to divide the citizens on this issue and proposes to penalize 6,000 residents who suffer 7/24 with an IMMORAL special tax: “the more you suffer, the more you pay”.
We bring citizens together around a community project based on three practical and realistic solutions to obtain the protection of the noise barrier without paying for it:
- Obtain new grants
The mayor asks for many grants for IMAGINE, his pet project to move the library into the Centennial Park. Why not ask for grants to reduce the burden and to resolve a major health issue?
99% of the noise comes from vehicles passing through our city without stopping. So, let us ask a grant from the Agglo, for example, since all this traffic contributes to its growth, but also grants from the Municipal Affairs Ministry, the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Health too, since it is a health issue, a major noise source and GHG pollution. Let’s also go back to the MTQ because they are applying a 1998 policy while they began transforming Toronto-Montréal boulevard into a highway in 1985. Moreover, this project is the longest to be built jointly under the Road Noise Policy in more than 24 years, and we are one of the smallest cities to participate. An extra effort Minister?
- Create a “Health Reserve” from the welcome tax
Since 2015, the city has been collecting increasingly large sums of so-called welcome tax. The diagram shows the tax collected each year (white) and its impact on the growth of the city bank account (blue).
Let’s create a “Health Reserve” constituted as follows: 2 to 3 M$ to start directly from the cash account. Then $1 to $2 million per year (or more, in good years) from the welcome tax. Thus, at the beginning of the project, in 6 years or more, we will have set aside at least 60% to 100% of the cost. WITHOUT EXTRA TAXES OR NEW DEBT!
- Install solar panels to generate energy income
Let’s install 4.8 km of solar panels on our (south) side of the wall. We will get a lot of infinite renewable energy, reducing our financial burden, either by selling this energy to Hydro-Quebec or by using it to reduce our electricity bill and light our streets. In addition, this will accelerate the achievement of carbon neutrality for the city.
In the event of a referendum, these proposals MUST be presented to the citizens.
And this is where the councilors can show their leadership, proposing these solutions and voting for each of these measures.
Councilors have this legitimate power, because they have been elected to protect the citizens.
Thanks for reading me