According to the 2024 budget approved by the council Tuesday night, Sherbrooke residents will face an average tax increase of 3.13% and swimming pool owners will receive a bill of $80 per year starting next summer.
When she took office in fall 2021, Mayor Évelyne Beaudin and her Sherbrooke Citizen Party promised to maintain the same tax increase, 3%, every year of her term.
After meeting its commitment in fiscal years 2022 and 2023, the inflationary context forced the political party to deviate slightly from its commitment to achieve a balanced budget while maintaining services to citizens.
“We must not be rigid, ideological and dogmatic. “We have to be able to adapt to the situation and the economic context and we are showing that this year with our budget,” explained Hôtel-Dieu district councilor and member of the Sherbrooke civic body, Laure Letarte. – The way. Yes, the 3% number may have been mentioned, but for me predictability was always important.
Sherbrooke Borough Council president and independent councilor Danielle Berthold believes it was the right decision.
“When Sherbrooke Citizen committed to honoring the 3% for four years, I think everyone was sincere. Given the reality of inflation today, I think it's a good, open-minded move on the part of Sherbrooke residents to agree to an increase to 3.13%. I think the majority of the council will agree to this increase,” she emphasized.
For comparison: the city of Montreal has decided on an average tax increase of 4.9% for 2024, Longueuil of 5.8% and Quebec of 3.9%.
New swimming pool tax
If taxpayers in Sherbrooke benefit from a relatively small tax increase compared to other major cities in Quebec, they must bear certain additional costs.
For example, a new tax of $80 will be imposed on every pool owner, regardless of size. The bill will be sent out later in 2024 while the city conducts an inventory of all private swimming pools in its territory.
Property owners in industrial zones are charged a tax of $113 for each square meter covered with asphalt, gravel or concrete on their property.
Some city councilors voted against the budget, citing in particular the lack of control over spending.
“The people of Sherbrooke will not be fooled. Even if the property tax increase remains around 3%, for some the pool tax increase will be closer to around 6%,” explained Rock Forest Borough Independent Councilor Annie Godbout.
The independent councilor for the Pin-Solitaire district, Hélène Dauphinais, also put the average increase of 3.13% into perspective. “There are other cities that have passed increases of 4% or 5%, but maybe they haven’t implemented any new taxes.”
Parking fees in Sherbrooke will increase from $1.50 to $2 per hour and free downtown parking offered during the holiday season will be eliminated, as will the municipal program to subsidize electric charging stations.
Improving the power grid
As Hydro-Québec recently announced, the City of Sherbrooke is planning major investments to improve Hydro-Sherbrooke's power grid.
More than $37 million will be committed over the next five years. The budget allocated to pruning will also be increased to $400,000 per year.