Together Montreal Pledges Staff Reduction, Financial Restructuring in Election Campaign
MONTREAL – Together Montreal is promising critically important cuts to city hall staffing and a comprehensive overhaul of municipal finances if elected in the upcoming municipal elections. Opposition chief Aref Salem stated Friday that the current governance is “playing with taxpayers’ money as if it was money at Monopoly.” The party aims to address what it describes as unsustainable budget increases and a growing reliance on debt.
The pledge comes as the borough budget has risen by 25% in recent years, while the city center’s has jumped nearly 50%, according to party officials. Claude Pinard, the party’s second-in-command, expressed concern over the administration’s increasing use of loans to fund purchases, stating, “We absolutely have to clean up the finances of the city.” Together Montreal has committed to removing at least 1000 positions within the city government.
Alongside financial restructuring, other candidates within the Together Montreal banner have outlined platform points focused on accessibility and public transit.Luc Rabouin announced plans to simplify parking access for disabled individuals and seniors, proposing unrestricted parking in resident-reserved areas for those with a Saaq sticker, alongside increased accessible parking spaces near key locations and improved signage. craig Sauvé proposed leveraging the expertise gained from the blue line extension project to revitalize other transit initiatives, including extensions of the orange and green lines, and the implementation of rapid bus services on key arteries like Parc Avenue and Rosemont Boulevard, funded by a per-kilometer vehicle tax.
