Bill 22 remains a bone of contention

Quebec's National Assembly isto eventually vote on Bill 22, a law drafted by Municipal Affairs Minister Nathalie Normandeau that could drastically alter the structure and powers of Montreal Island's agglomeration council.

"It's been two years now that we've been taken advantage of, and they (Montreal) have been given a blank check," said Baie d'Urfé Mayor Maria Tutino.

"We think that the arterial roads should be returned to us," said Dollard des Ormeaux Mayor Ed Janiszewski as an example of one concession a brief deposited by the Suburban Association of Mayors, which includes all 15 de-merged municipalities from the city of Montreal, demanded.

However in its brief, the City of Montreal recommended only to return some powers over these roads, like placing signal lights or snow removal, to the demerged cities, but keeping major repairs and construction in the hands of the agglomeration council.

"Nothing really surprised us," said Dorval Mayor Edgar Rouleau of the City of Montreal's presentation, maintaining that Gérald Tremblay's administration still wants to keep all power to itself. "It cannot stay as it is now," he said.

One of the chief bones that demerged city mayors have picked with Montreal since the agglomeration council's formation almost two years ago is a lack of their representation. Since council representation is based on population, the city of Montreal and its boroughs have 87 per cent voting power, leaving 13 per cent to the demerged cities. Bill 22 would propose the agglomeration council's number of representatives to jump up to 81, with 65 members including Montreal's mayor, borough mayors and councillors, and 16 members for the de--merged city mayors, with a second member for Dollard to account for its higher population.

The suburban mayors, however, only want 34 members in total sitting on the council, stating that the presence of borough councillors is superfluous.

The association also agrees to the formation of an independent secretariat that would make access to information easier for members of the council, whereas the City of Montreal views it as a needless expense. "Those who complain about lack of information have been absent three times as often from agglomeration council meetings as representatives of Montreal," its memo reads.

However, the suburban mayors' brief suggests that they have been stonewalled by personnel working on agglomeration council matters, as well as told that city workers "do not work for reconstituted municipalities, but the city of Montreal."

"They should have at least some information," said Quebec Minister for the Montreal Region Raymond Bachard, saying he was for the creation of the secretariat.

"We're working very hard with the leadership," Quebec Premier Jean Charest told The Chronicle. "We're working with the mayor of Montreal and we've tabled some solutions that I think will allow us to arrive to a positive outcome."

It is unknown when Bill 22 will next be scheduled for debate. "I hope the National Assembly makes up its mind before the end of this session," Rouleau said.

The session usually ends around Dec. 21 of every year.

— Additional reporting by Albert Kramberger