A Budget to Serve Our Population

MONTRÉAL, Oct. 10, 2023 /CNW/ - The Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce Borough Council will present the 2024 Operating Budget and the 2024-2033 Ten-Year Capital Works Program at a special meeting this evening.

"With this budget, we are presenting an ambitious, carefully thought-out, green plan that will improve the daily lives of the people of CDN-NDG. Once again this year, our administration's actions will be guided by the principles of social justice and territorial equity. We'll be boosting investment in our sports facilities and parks throughout the borough, supporting initiatives to pedestrianize commercial streets, and continuing to develop our cycling network and make it safer. This budget will enable us to create streets that are safer and more active, and neighbourhoods that are greener, more dynamic and, above all, more inclusive," says Borough Mayor Gracia Kasoki Katahwa.

The borough is taking the initiative to improve its equitable and inclusive service offering by drawing up a parks master plan, with new investments forthcoming. These funds will be used to redevelop parks and green spaces, renovate park chalets, improve lighting and renew sports equipment, while increasing financial contributions to community organizations for the second year running.

More support will be given to community tenant advocacy groups as well. The land use and development master plan for one of Montréal's neighbourhoods of the future, the Namur-Hippodrome eco-neighbourhood, will be drawn up. Public consultations will follow.

Promoting healthy, sustainable living environments is also a top priority, with the initiation of an ambitious greening program orchestrated by a new eight-person team. Our visionary planting master plan will substantially increase the borough's canopy, reduce impervious surfaces in highly paved areas and heat islands, and accelerate the planting of microforests.

Mobility and safety are also high priorities, with the adoption of several strategies to calm traffic near schools, improve bike routes and make them safer, and begin implementing the first Local Transportation Plan early next year. And, to encourage public participation, the borough will be renewing its participatory budget in the amount of $500,000.

2024 Operating Budget

The borough's elected officials are presenting a balanced budget totalling $78,976,000, an increase of 3.5%, or $2,702,600, compared to 2023.

The budgetary challenges are real, but despite the significant inflationary context, which is reflected in energy costs for municipal buildings and in contract amounts, the borough will limit its expenditures to the inflation rate of the last 12 months. In addition, the annual increase in fees for local services will not exceed 2.2%.

The borough will step up its efforts in the areas of the ecological transition, economic vitality, public participation and quality of life. To achieve this, we are helping to stabilize the workforce through the tenuring of blue-collar workers and the creation of permanent positions in cultural and library activities, thereby ensuring the quality of local services to the community. In addition, the borough has created three new divisions (parks and greening, social development, and property management) to adapt its practices to new realities.

Planning for the next 10 years

The 2024-2033 Ten-Year Capital Works Program, established in 2021, ensures a long-term vision for investments. Each year, a total of $6,830,000 is allocated to carry out various projects. Over the next ten years, funds will be earmarked for building protection ($24.7 million), repairs and improvements to local streets ($29.0 million), and park redevelopment ($14.6 million).

Among other things, our facilities will receive ventilation maintenance, and there will be upgrades to several buildings. The borough is continuing its efforts to build new facilities and replace or improve sports equipment in parks.

Additional traffic calming measures will contribute to road safety, while our streets and sidewalks will continue to be upgraded and repaired.

Go to montreal.ca/cdn-ndg for full details on CDN-NDG's 2024 Operating Budget and 2024-2033 Ten-Year Capital Works Program.

SOURCE Ville de Montréal - Arrondissement de Côte-des-Neiges - Notre-Dame-de-Grâce

Sophie Paquet, Communications Officer, [email protected]