Côte Saint-Luc budget 2008

The Côte Saint-Luc City Council on December 18, 2007 adopted its 2008 local municipal budget of $30.05 million, while keeping the average residential property tax increase below the rate of inflation.

The budget provides for minimal property tax increases for the average residential taxpayer, with the average increase being below the rate of inflation. The owner of a single-family home whose property valuation increased at the average rate of 36 percent will pay 1.69 percent more in local property taxes than he or she did in 2007. Other individual tax accounts may be lower or higher, depending on the variation of their assessment in the four-year property valuation assessment roll, which increased the valuation of some properties more than others.

The council and management team implemented a strict budgetary process used in the private sector. Instead of using last year’s budget as a base and adding to it, a form of zero-based budgeting was used where every department function was reviewed comprehensively and all expenditures had to be justified.

To help minimize the impact of property valuation increases greater than the Côte Saint-Luc average of 36 percent, the City of Côte Saint-Luc has reduced the tax rate (also called the “mill rate”) on all properties, and staggered the valuation increases over four years.

The City of Côte Saint-Luc has merged its two water taxes into one special reserve fund. The taxes raised will be used to pay engineering consulting firm Dessau Inc. for the maintenance and improvement of the Côte Saint-Luc water infrastructure, to buy water from the City of Montreal and to pay down the debt owed to the City of Montreal for the purchase the water distribution network in the territory of Côte Saint-Luc. Similar to municipal taxes, the water tax is also based on the taxable valuation of residential and non-residential properties.
 
The City of Côte Saint-Luc kept increases in operating expenses to a minimum by trimming the budgets of all departments in a way that will not affect the services residents expect. This was achieved by a judicious review of all expenses and finding new and less costly ways to achieve excellent services to residents.

The largest increase in expenses is related to the ongoing rise in energy costs, including fuel and electricity. During the course of the 2008 fiscal year, the City of Côte Saint-Luc will investigate ways to be more energy efficient and ultimately save money in this area in future years.

The recycling budget has also been increased to fulfill the city’s commitment to have recycling in all apartment buildings and condominiums in 2008. In addition, due to the successful implementation of organic waste collection in 2007, a budget was created to extend the program to all single family homes in 2008.

The water infrastructure budget has also risen slightly because Côte Saint-Luc has once again identified water testing and infrastructure improvements as a priority.

Capital expenditures budget
Just as the expense budget allows short-term planning and control of current operating needs, the capital expenditures budget is a tool to aid long-term planning and control of long-range and capital needs, such as:

• Road and sidewalk replacement
• Sewer replacement and repairs
• Repairs to municipal buildings
• Upgrades and improvements to parks, pools and equipment
• Upgrades to the ambulance fleet of Côte Saint-Luc Emergency Medical Services and purchase of defibrillators
• Replacement and upgrade of municipal vehicles and technology equipment

The three-year capital expenditures budget is $5.61 million in 2008, $12.98 million in 2009 and $5.68 million in 2010. The City of Côte Saint-Luc will continue to maximize the use of grants that are available for capital expenditures such as the Gas Tax Fund, F.I.M.R. and sports/recreation grants from the Ministry of Education, Leisure and Sports.

About the tax bills
Residents of the City of Côte Saint-Luc will receive two municipal tax bills in January 2008—one from the City of Côte Saint-Luc and another from the island-wide Montreal Agglomeration Council. The City of Côte Saint-Luc municipal tax bill is due in two installments: March 3 and June 2, 2008.

The City of Côte Saint-Luc tax bill pays for the Eleanor London Côte Saint-Luc Public Library, parks and recreation activities, road repairs, garbage collection, recycling, organic waste collection and other local services. The island-wide tax bill pays for Montreal island services such as police, fire prevention and public transit.

>> View a detailed overview of the budget (PDF)