Press Release #3 - Ville de Montréal 2015 Budget - Making Montréal an increasingly efficient and consistent city

MONTRÉAL, Nov. 26, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - The Mayor of Montréal, Denis Coderre, and the Chairman of the Executive Committee, responsible for finance, large projects, human resources, corporate communications, legal affairs and property assessment, Pierre Desrochers, today tabled the Ville de Montréal 2015 Budget, which stands at $4,882.6 million, down 0.3% compared to the previous fiscal period. The Montréal administration's goal is to make the city increasingly efficient and consistent, and to achieve this, it has taken positive actions over the past year to prioritize the quality of life of Montrealers as it developed a responsible budget.

"As soon as our administration took over at city hall, one of our priorities was to exercise better control over municipal expenditures, while improving the quality of services to the community. I am pleased to see that, one year later, we have laid the groundwork to improve efficiency in Montréal and coherence in our actions. Whether it involves the creation of the Service de la performance organisationnelle (organizational performance), establishment of the Bureau de l'Inspecteur général (inspector general's office) or the borough financing reform, all of our actions aim at improving the way we carry out business," said Mayor Denis Coderre.

A $2.8-million budget was awarded to the Service de la performance organisationnelle, to improve services to Montrealers, while limiting expenditures, a 28% increase compared to 2014. With a key mandate to examine city management mechanics, the Service de la performance organisationnelle identified 12 optimization projects for which major efforts will be made. The work achieved by the Service du développement organisationnel will help the city compare with 14 other Canadian cities in terms of efficiency.  

The budget of the Bureau de l'Inspecteur général (inspector general's office), which was created in 2014, will increase by 11% in 2015, and will stand at $5.6 million. This increase will enable the Bureau to become even more efficient in preventing and combating fraud when awarding or carrying out contracts.

In order to become a more modern and smarter city, the administration created the Bureau de la Ville intelligente et numérique (smart and digital city bureau), which has an operating budget of $0.5 million. The implementation, this year, of the Centre de gestion de la mobilité urbaine (urban mobility management centre) is an excellent example of a technological means made available to citizens. A grand total of $70.7 million will be earmarked in 2015 for information technologies. As well, a radio-communication expertise centre will be created and will support the SÉRAM network, a system for key players involved in public security.

A more efficient financing model
Although efficiency and the control of expenditures are essential elements to build an efficient city, consistent actions between the city and the boroughs are also important. That is why the administration moved forward with the borough financing reform. This new financing model is based on six principles:

• Respect the taxpayers' ability to pay
• Guarantee quality services to citizens
• Act with a consistent vision of the city
• Ensure the stability and predictability of financing
• Exercise fairness
• Strive for performance at all costs using the best practices and economics of scale.

The borough financing reform, which will be introduced progressively, will be achieved over a five-year period and the transferred budgets will increase by $18.6 million, or $3.7 million annually. A first in the city, the reform, which is based on values of accountability and fairness, aims at ensuring a more coherent sharing of responsibilities between the central city and the boroughs.

"The actions that were taken by our administration show that we are committed to making Montréal a leader in integrity and efficiency. We are passionate about the financial health of Montréal, and the quality of services offered to Montrealers remains a priority. To achieve our goals, concrete measures were taken, and the care we have exercised shows our dedication to continue to develop a city of which Montrealers can be proud," added Mayor Coderre.

SOURCE: Ville de Montréal - Cabinet du maire et du comité exécutif

Anne Roy, Press Attaché, Office of the Mayor and Executive Committee, 514 346-7598