city spending

By Dylan Adams Lemaçon LJI Reporter

Tensions ran high at Rosemère’s latest municipal council meeting as frustrated citizens voiced their concerns over a range of issues, from rising commercial taxes to the ongoing $276 million lawsuit related to the former golf course. Mayor Eric Westram and the council faced repeated criticism, with many residents expressing dissatisfaction with the lack of transparency and clarity in the town’s decision-making.  

A Confusing Start to the Meeting

Mayor Westram opened the meeting by acknowledging School Perseverance Day, with council members wearing green to mark the occasion. However, the tone quickly shifted during the first question period, as residents wasted no time addressing their grievances.  

Richard Fee was the first to step up, asking about an evaluation related to his property. He wanted to know what the Urban Planning Advisory Committee (CCU) had recommended to the council regarding his home. The response was that he would need to submit a formal access-to-information request to find out—an answer that didn’t sit well with him or others in attendance.  

“It’s a little strange that we pay the CCU for evaluations on our homes but then we don’t have direct access to the information gained from those evaluations once the CCU was done with their work,” Fee said, voicing his frustration.  

Sophie Cardinal, a familiar face from previous meetings, immediately chimed in, questioning why a homeowner needed to go through a formal request to obtain information about their own property.  

Concerns Over the Golf Course Lawsuit and City Spending

Cardinal returned to the microphone later to demand answers about the ongoing lawsuit regarding the golf course land, a topic that has remained a major point of contention in Rosemère. She wanted to know what legal fees the town was expecting to pay as they prepared their defense.  

The mayor responded that the council is aware of the situation’s gravity and is prioritizing it accordingly. However, his response did little to ease concerns.  

“It’s gonna be us that pays for that,” Cardinal said, exasperated over the potential financial burden on taxpayers if the town loses the case.  

Another citizen shifted the conversation toward commercial tax increases, highlighting how some small businesses in town are seeing hikes as high as 15%. This resident, who had also spoken at the previous meeting about a long-standing sign on his property that the city ordered him to remove, challenged the mayor’s attempt to compare Rosemère’s tax rates to those of nearby cities.  

“I own buildings in those cities, and it’s nowhere near the same rise in taxes,” he said, dismissing the mayor’s argument outright.  

By this point, it was clear that tensions between the citizens and the council were only growing. Many in attendance felt the town’s financial priorities were inconsistent and lacked clear justification.  

Calls for Change and Leadership Criticism

During the second question period, frustrations boiled over as resident Daniel Robinson stepped up and called for drastic action. He accused the council of being ineffective, constantly divided, and incapable of making clear decisions.  

“You guys never get along! How can anything get done when you can’t agree on anything?” Robinson exclaimed.  

He went further, suggesting that the town needed an early election to establish stronger leadership.  

“We are paying for decisions which you guys can’t even agree on!” he said.  

His criticism resonated with others, particularly regarding investments in infrastructure such as bike paths. Some residents argued that the existing paths are barely used and questioned why additional millions were being allocated to new ones.  

As tensions escalated, multiple citizens voiced their frustrations—even from their seats, despite not being at the microphone. The meeting veered close to chaos before resident Louise Allard stepped up, urging everyone to keep the discussion respectful.  

A Growing Divide

By the time the meeting wrapped up, the atmosphere remained tense. Many citizens left with the sense that their concerns had not been adequately addressed. The disconnect between the town’s decision-makers and its residents seems to be widening, with no clear resolution in sight.  

With municipal elections still months away, it seems as if many of the people of Rosemère are growing increasingly impatient, demanding leadership that listens—and more importantly, responds—with transparency and action.