CDN-NDG

BUDGET PROGRAM

The driving force behind the creation of the political party, Team CDN-NDG is the budget.

This is not a right – left issue, this is a question of securing the borough a proper budget to spend as a community.
As the most populous borough and one of the largest contributors to the city finances, we have been consistently shortchanged by the central city.

For far too long CDN-NDG has bankrolled expenditures elsewhere.  It is estimated that we contribute a half of a billion dollars a year to the city budget, yet we receive a paltry borough budget to meet our growing day to day operational needs and investments in infrastructure are grossly inadequate.

Our parks and commercial streets are neglected.  We lack funds to support activities for our families, seniors and newly arrived immigrants.

CDN-NDG has the distinction of paying for better quality services and infrastructure in other boroughs.  The city’s attitude has been that we should commute outside our borough to shop, eat and entertain ourselves.

Team CDN-NDG proposes

• To vote against borough budgets that do not meet our needs and allow us to enjoy the same level of services and infrastructure found in other boroughs.

• To demand our fair share of investments.

• Use the borough’s communication vehicles, like we do for PR projects, to engage the residents in a conversation about the budget.

• Reveal how the centre city determines our operational and investment budgets.

• Demand that the financing formula accounts for intensity of use, a missing component that effectively discriminates against inner city boroughs to the benefit of the newly merged suburban boroughs like Ville Saint Laurent.

• Hold the borough budget meeting as a separate evening, not before regular council meetings which is nothing more than an attempt to limit participation and shield our current elected officials from being held accountable.

• Engage in a public conversation in how to pressure city officials to provide CDN-NDG its fair share of city resources.

• Renegotiate our current snow clearing services arrangement.  An arrangement that penalizes us in years with above normal snowfall yet denies us any share of the surplus during mild winters.