Property-tax deadline now September
Homeowners, businesses will have until September to pay instalment
Montrealers have an extra three months to pay the second instalment of their property taxes, the city announced Wednesday.
The deadline has been pushed back to September to allow homeowners and businesses time to deal with the economic slowdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic, executive-committee chairman Benoît Dorais said during the weekly executive committee meeting.
In March, the city had postponed the deadline for the second property tax payment to July 2. Now owners are getting an additional two months.
As recently as last week’s council meeting, the city administration had rebuffed a motion by the municipal opposition demanding that the second instalment of property taxes be postponed till Sept. 1, saying it couldn’t afford the measure.
“It’s one of the quickest U-turns I’ve ever seen in my political life,” said St-laurent mayor Alan Desousa, who proposed the motion.
Dorais said Wednesday that the city was acting on a report on Montreal’s economy by an expert panel, unveiled Tuesday by Mayor Valérie Plante, which recommended postponing the tax deadline.
“It’s good news for owners but it’s also good news for small businesses,” he said.
“We really turned over every stone to ensure that we could make this additional effort,” said Dorais, noting that the pandemic has hit Montreal’s economy hard, with one in five Quebecers out of work.
The measure represents a $2-billion shortfall for the city for three months, he said.
The report also called on the
Quebec government to allow Montreal to run a deficit in its operating budget this year, given the economic carnage caused by the pandemic.
Also during Wednesday’s executive committee meeting, Plante announced that public pools would open this summer, with new, more stringent rules to prevent the virus’s spread.
“The pools will open gradually. This requires preparation and a whole new set of logistics and in due time we will be able to share with you what it will be like to use public swimming pools in Montreal during the pandemic,” she said.
Playgrounds in parks have also reopened, said Plante, who urged Montrealers who use recreational facilities to be vigilant in respecting health guidelines like keeping a two-metre distance, handwashing, wearing masks and carrying hand sanitizer with them.
On Saturday, Quebec Health Minster Danielle Mccann gave municipalities the go-ahead to open public pools during the summer, provided people maintain physical distancing of two metres and wash their hands before entering the facilities.
Last week, Montreal opened splash pads in parks to help deal with the heat wave and give families a chance to cool off while they cope with the COVID -19 pandemic.
Two weeks ago, the city announced the reopening of dog parks, tennis courts, Île Notre-dame and Jean-drapeau Park, although the parking lots at Jean-drapeau, La Fontaine, Maisonneuve, Jarry, Frédéric-back, and le Île-de-la-visitation parks remained closed.