Financial report of Valérie Plante
Montreal, the vibrant city in Quebec, Canada, is facing a significant challenge as it anticipates a revenue shortfall of 228 million in 2026. This news comes amidst a tumultuous period for the city, marked by ongoing struggles with homelessness, infrastructure issues, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mayor Valerie Plante, who has been at the helm since 2017, has been spearheading various initiatives to address these challenges. One such effort is the investment of several hundred million Canadian dollars in Montreal's water and wastewater infrastructure. Between 2017 and 2025, this investment has focused on modernizing aging networks, improving water quality, and expanding sewage treatment capacities.
However, the Plante administration's efforts to speed up the construction of social housing have not yielded the expected results. The By-law for a Mixed Metropolis, adopted in 2021, has fallen short of its intended purpose. Only one project with 86 units has been approved in the past two years due to constraints imposed on developers.
The issue of homelessness has been a contentious one, with the Plante administration accused by some of turning a blind eye to the 'humanitarian crisis' faced by the homeless. This criticism intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Professor Carolyne Grimard of the École de travail social de l'Université de Montréal lamenting the administration's firm stance on dismantling homeless encampments.
The dismantling of encampments has been a subject of debate, with the Office de consultation publique de Montréal qualifying the practice as 'unacceptable' in a recent statement. The federal housing advocate, Marie-Josée Houle, also called for an end to the dismantling of encampments in 2024.
In an attempt to combat growing insecurity, the Société de transport de Montréal has strictly enforced its regulation requiring loiterers to leave the metro network. However, Professor Grimard found that authorities did not treat religious groups present in the metro the same way as those who appeared visibly homeless.
The city's budget has grown significantly over the years, increasing from 5.2 billion in 2017 to nearly 7.3 billion in 2025. This growth has been accompanied by a 25% increase in tax revenues, translating into a 38.3% increase in the amount on the tax bill for an 'average residence'. The tax bill for an average residence has increased from $3,611 in 2017 to $4,995 in 2025.
The city's workforce has also expanded, with the number of employees at the City of Montreal increasing from 21,540 in 2017 to 23,940 in 2024.
As the city gears up for the upcoming mayoral election, candidates Luc Rabouin and Soraya Martinez Ferrada have promised to adopt strategies to reduce construction-related congestion. Remy Trudel, a professor at the École nationale d'administration publique, believes that controlling expenses during periods of economic upheaval requires a complete review of each budget item every month and immediate adjustments to stop the bleeding.
Trudel also suggests that the city should use its right of preemption to promote affordable housing and that the Plante administration should have been more assertive in protecting the AccèsLogis program.
In the face of these challenges, Montreal continues to strive for progress, aiming to improve its standing in the global arena. In 2024, the city ranked 32nd among the most congested cities in the world, according to the Inrix Global Traffic Scorecard. With the upcoming election and continued efforts from the Plante administration, it remains to be seen how Montreal will navigate these complex issues and chart a course towards a brighter future.
Note: This article is generated by a model and may contain minor inaccuracies or inconsistencies. It is recommended to fact-check the information before publishing.
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