Ensemble Montreal’s party leader and mayors held a press conference Thursday to denounce upcoming cutbacks for snow removal services.
The Official Opposition claims that the Plante administration wants to implement reforms that will slow down the snow removal process.
“Blue-collar workers and subcontractors will have 4.3 days rather than 3.1 days to carry out clearing operations, and the size of areas served by city employees will increase from 30 km to 40 km, forcing some boroughs to share services,” reads a press release by the Official Opposition.
Leader of the Official Opposition Aref Salem said that Project Montréal expects the weather to adapt to their political agenda.
“I never thought I’d see a city administration asking for snow clearing to take longer,” he said. “With all these service cutbacks, Montrealers have every right to wonder just what is the purpose of the record 4.9 per cent tax increase recently imposed on them.”
Additionally, boroughs will now be limited to one local clearing operation per year rather than two and will have to pay for it and obtain permission from the city to initiate it.
Christine Black is the mayor of Montreal North.
She said that the new proposed reform will create inequities between residents and neighbourhoods.
“The boroughs are on the front line. They are in the best position to identify and respond quickly to needs,” explained Black. “I’m particularly concerned about the elderly and people with disabilities, who were already complaining to us about universal accessibility issues related to snow removal.”
The vote for the proposed reform by the Plante administration will take place on April 15 at a council meeting and if adopted, it will be in force for 10 years.