Laval releases 2025 budget

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The average household property owner in Laval will be paying 1.9 per cent more in taxes next year, which is significantly less than the 4.8 per cent hike Mayor Stéphane Boyer’s administration imposed around this time last year.

The 2025 budget includes $1.23 billion in projected expenses. Around $1.17 billion was allotted by the city last year. This year’s tax increase is less than the anticipated 2025 rate of inflation.

The city says this year’s increase is among the lowest among major cities in the province and was achieved partly by decreeing a freeze in the hiring of non-essential workers.

Economy slowed in 2024

In a summary providing context and background information for the new budget, the city notes that economic growth in Laval slowed down in 2024, although the outlook for renewed investment is positive with inflation receding and employment prospects rising.

However, the City of Laval’s economic analysts are concerned about the potential fallout resulting from the recent election in the U.S. that returned Donald Trump to power, as well as the Canadian federal election set to take place before the end of next year.

Quoting economics experts at Desjardins, the city maintains that Laval’s economy will grow by 3.5 per cent in 2025, after reaching 4.8 per cent in 2024. These levels of growth are being attributed to the fact that Laval’s population is increasing faster than had been expected, even though employment isn’t keeping up to the same pace.

Financial pressures

“Faced with the financial pressures that the people of Laval have to contend with daily, we dealt with this in a responsible and efficient manner,” Laval mayor Stéphane Boyer said in a statement issued when the budget was released.

“This budgetary exercise was worked out with a specific goal in mind, which was to limit the financial impact on all Laval residents, while also making sure every dollar would be used properly,” he added.

“This was a real challenge that we are proud to have been able to meet with success. It’s also thanks to our disciplined management of finances that the city remains in an excellent financial position, as attested by the AA+ credit score accorded by Standard and Poor’s, which is the highest for a Quebec municipality.”

Savings made on expenses

According to the city, an overall increase in costs for goods and services forced the administration to rationalize some expenses, resulting in $9.6 million in savings.

Savings were also achieved on employee salaries by capping the number of new hirings. The city also decided to pay $43.3 million in cash up front for some expenses to reduce the impact of interest owed on long-term debts.

The city says it obtained $13 million in additional savings through the application of innovative taxation methods. These included:

• Increased tax rates on vacant and un-serviced lots;
• Indexing of tariffs for the disposal of snow in the non-residential sector.

More facts on Budget 2025

$245.2 million of the budget has been allocated for public security, while $130.1 million is set aside for culture and leisure.

As well, according to the city, sums will be invested to improve administrative conditions which contributed in the past to delays in the granting of construction and renovation permits by the urban planning department.

The city has also set aside $2.4 million for the startup of the new Aquatic Complex and one other major infrastructure project that opened recently.