The budget for the Municipal Regional Council (MRC) of Argenteuil will be increasing by about 1.96 per cent in 2017. In 2016, the total budget was $8,721,861 and it is increasing to $9,322,160. The increase is due to an elevation in municipal evaluations of 3.78 per cent.
The municipalities that make up the MRC Argenteuil include Lachute, Brownsburg-Chatham, Wentworth, Harrington, Grenville, Grenville-sur-la-Rouge, Gore, Saint-André d’Argenteuil and Mille-Isles. These nine municipalities are responsible for contributing 42.58 per cent of the MRC’s budget, compared to 46.36 per cent in 2016. The remainder of the budget is predominantly supported by the provincial government.
“Some local municipalities will pay more and some will pay less, because it comes from an increase in the evaluation role, which differs between the municipalities,” said MRC Argenteuil director general Marc Carièrre.
From the total budget, about $1.4 million represents cash that will flow through the MRC, without impacting services or projects. This money represents cash coming in from the province, which is deferred to established programs. This includes firefighter training costs, which are covered by the provincial government, but paid to the MRC.
This budgetary envelope includes Quebec en Forme and the Société Habitation du Quebec, among others.
From the remaining budget of $7.8 million, about 14 per cent pays for the development of the territory, and environmental projects; 12 per cent goes towards collective transport and security; 11 per cent is dedicated to property assessments; 11 per cent goes towards administrative and operating costs; ten per cent pays for economic development; ten per cent supports regional equipment; seven per cent is dedicated to social development; an additional seven per cent pays for leisure, arts and culture; six per cent is paying down the debt; four per cent supports web security and technical support; another four per cent pays for civil engineering and watercourses; two per cent pays for building maintenance and the final two per cent pays council salaries.
Despite the slight tax increase, MRC Argenteuil Warden Scott Pearce says that the municipalities will be benefiting from more cash and services this year.
“It’s an increase, but it’s a very slight increase and the municipalities will be receiving even more services. The increase is peanuts in comparison to what we get in return,” said Pearce.
The Fonds de développement des territoires will be nearly doubling this year, from $126,000 last year to $250,000 in 2017. This money is split between the nine municipalities and is used for a variety of special projects.
The MRC is responsible for the economic development of the region and it will be focusing on a number of campaigns next year, including the promotion of the industrial parks. A strategy is being developed to extend the industrial park at Tricentris and to bring in more industry. The MRC is continuing to push the provincial government to deliver on earlier promises to bring high speed internet to the region, which currently has spotty coverage. Bringing 3-D technology to the area would be a boon for industries, says the MRC, which hopes to facilitate the process of making this technology accessible.
The MRC is investing in two new park projects next year, including the Rouge River park project in Grenville-sur-la-Rouge and the construction of a bridge over the Grenville Canal, in Grenville, which will complete a new circuit on the Argenteuil Route Vert cycling route.
In an effort to promote tourism and economic development, the MRC is going to be installing a digital billboard on Highway 50, near the Centre Ville exit for Lachute.
Argenteuil collective transport will be offering a new bus service starting in January, which will bring residents from Lachute to Ski Morin-Heights on Friday night.“Collective transport represents an essential service which received more than 40,000 calls last year,” said Carrière.
In terms of public security, the MRC will be continuing with a number of existing programs, including ongoing fire prevention and training. The MRC will also be supporting the cost of hiring two Sûréte du Quebec police cadets to patrol the region next summer during the festival period.
Some of the major projects the MRC will be working on next year include the installation of two charging stations for electric cars. The two stations will cost about $15,000 apiece and will be located at the MRC building on Grace Street and at the former Lachute train station, which houses additional offices for the MRC at 540 Berry Street.
Carrière said that about half of the cost of these charging stations will be covered by provincial grants.
For the second consecutive year the MRC will be working on a lake protection program that works to prevent the spread of invasive species.
The MRC will continue to work on its agricultural development programs, including the “Banque de terres,” or land bank service, which promotes agricultural properties which are available for purchase in Argenteuil. The MRC will also be continuing with its community garden project, which provides fresh produce to local food banks.
Garbage remains a problem for the entire province, which has until 2020 to meet the provincial government’s demands to reduce waste to zero per cent. A new compost program of “brown boxes” will launch next year. It will begin in schools, public buildings and at the CSSS Argenteuil Hospital and is expected to gradually expand each year.
