At its meeting on February 24, Beaconsfield City Council adopted a resolution to increase to $20 million its claim against the City of Montréal for excessive taxes overcharged by the Agglomeration.
This sum reflects the persistent injustice imposed by the City of Montréal with its funding model for regional services such as public transit and public safety, without improving these services.
"For several years now, our administration has been fighting to recover these amounts overcharged by Montréal, which unfairly increase the tax burden on our taxpayers without providing them with any additional services," underlines Mayor Georges Bourelle.
It is important to remember that Beaconsfield was at the forefront of this contestation, being the only demerged city on the Island of Montréal to take legal action in 2020 to correct this inequity.
Just recently, the 15 reconstituted municipalities linked to Montréal unanimously adopted the same legal approach to challenge a new decision to unfairly charge costs to the Agglomeration.
"It is becoming increasingly clear that the only way to resolve the fiscal injustices imposed by Montréal on the 15 reconstituted cities is through the courts. This is regrettable in a democracy, but the Montréal administration remains inflexible and intransigent," says Mayor Bourelle.
Since filing its claim in 2020, Beaconsfield has adjusted its claim each year to include the new amounts wrongly collected. A hearing date will soon be set for the case to be heard by the court.
To protect the interests of its taxpayers, Beaconsfield continues to pay these taxes under protest, thereby maintaining its compliance with its tax obligations while preserving its rights for future compensation.