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Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

PERCÉ – The Town of Percé is putting funding for the Tourist Information Office back into its budget in 2025. Funding for the Tourist Information Office was removed when the 2024 budget was tabled, a position that council had revised to keep it open thereafter. 

“Last year, funds were taken from the unallocated surplus to maintain the service. Council learned its lesson and put the budget back into a new operating mode with an additional person and a little less promotional budget. We are continuing discussions with merchants to transfer part of the management of tourist information to them. It targets their customers, but it’s not over yet,” explains Mayor Daniel Leboeuf, who emphasizes that this is a transition year. 

The town adopted a budget that increased by 6%, bringing the total to $8 million. 

Percé is seeing its equalization and QST transfers increase by 166%, reaching $519,000. This helps save taxpayers despite the filing of a new assessment roll that increases the municipality’s real estate wealth by 52% for residential properties. 

For example, the average home has had an increase in value from $117,000 to $178,000, but the overall increase in the tax bill is only 2%, since the tax rate was lowered from $1.34 to $0.90 per $100 of assessment. 

“It’s good for someone who wants to sell their home, but not for paying taxes. That’s why we adjusted the rate,” explains the elected official. 

Only the rates for wastewater treatment are increasing from $295 to $350, while the citizens of Cap-d’Espoir see the bill increase from $350 to $400. 

A reserve of $300,000 has been created for personnel management. “Also for recruitment. There is a shortage of managers in key positions. Our clerk is going to retire. We need to recruit a new one. There are resources that will come to help us with recruitment. It is better to plan for more than less,” notes the mayor. 

The town must also renew the collective agreement of its unionized employees and conduct an organizational diagnosis as requested by the Quebec Municipal Commission in its devastating report on municipal management. 

The unallocated surplus is $750,000, but the town would like to see that surplus increased. “Ideally, it should be increased by about $300,000 or $400,000. Last year, we used it several times for some $360,000. It made us fall below the waterline. We have to go back above the waterline,” says Mr. Leboeuf. 

The three-year capital plan includes expenses totalling $8.4 million, including $4.2 million allocated for road network maintenance and $1.5 million for the renewal of the pipes on Biard and Mont-Joli streets, starting in 2025. 

“The council presented its resolutions last year, and some projects were abandoned. We are focusing on preserving our infrastructure while improving others,” justifies the mayor.