Montreal Asks for Organizations' and Citizen's Recommendations for the 2024 City Budget

The city of Montreal held its second yearly session, for a fifth consecutive year, on the Commission sur les finances et l'administration. This series of meetings serves in the annual consultative practice of holding pre-budget consultation where citizens are invited to share their opinions and needs concerning the allocating of the city's budget. 

The second consultation for the 2024 city budget was publicly held and organizations and citizens shared their recommendations on the propositions that had been previously included in the 2024 Pre-Budget Consultation document.

Le Conseil Regional d'Environnement, a group doing awareness work on the ecological transition in Montreal, was the first organization invited to speak. During their presentation, they highlighted that they believe the city of Montreal should be more transparent on the budgets associated to the different initiatives they want to take. By doing so, it would allow citizens and organizations to follow what the city plans on financing and what are the administration's priorities. Another recommendation they made was to assess the needs and budgets necessary to a climate adaptation that takes future years in consideration. 

Regroupement Citoyen Pour Tous, another organization, brought up land development and housing development, amongst other points. RCPT suggested it was time for the city to bury Hydro-Quebec electrical wires. They added that buildings need to be adapted, especially densely populated areas. They also suggested that Montreal adds a tax on vacant housing, and covers infrastructure costs.

Other organizations and citizens highlighted that Montreal should have bigger budgets for matters of homelessness, public transit (making more accessible to all citizens) and access to food.