Néomédia has learned in recent days that a draft resolution unanimously adopted on January 24 by the elected officials of the Vaudreuil-Soulanges MRC does not reflect the accuracy of the facts.

In fact, the resolution, entitled "Demande à la Société d'habitation du Québec (SHQ) d'offrir le soutien administratif nécessaire à la bonne gestion des Offices d'habitation du Québec", states that "the SHQ had the ORHVS financial statements redone to include the twenty-five cents for the washing machines, and that this micromanagement is accompanied by an inordinate administrative cost relative to the profit of the activity", which is strongly denied by the SHQ.

In an e-mail sent to Néomédia, Sylvain Fournier, Communications and Media Relations Advisor at the SHQ, confirms that the facts reported in the resolution are false. "The Société d'habitation du Québec did not ask the ORH de Vaudreuil-Soulanges to redo 9 years of financial statements to include an adjustment of $0.25 for washing machines. Nor did it ask the organization to resubmit financial statements it had already sent to the SHQ. In our opinion, these facts are clearly inaccurate, and we have no idea where they came from," he said.

A questionable introduction

In his preamble to the draft resolution, MRC Assistant Director General Simon Bellemare made it clear: "Ms. Charest (editor's note: Manon Charest, General Director of the ORHVS) had to submit her budget five times. ORHVS had to redo its financial statements several times, going back to 2015, because the SHQ wanted ORHVS to count the $0.25 under washing machines".

The comments were also echoed and denounced by several elected officials, leading to a highly animated exchange which Néomédia attended. The resolution was subsequently approved by all elected officials.

However, as confirmed by the SHQ, it is not true that the ORHVS had to redo nine years of financial statements to include $0.25 for washing machines.

Questioned about this imbroglio, the MRC defends itself by indicating that a revised version of the said resolution will be presented and adopted at the next council meeting, scheduled for February 21. 

As to the source of Mr. Bellemare's information, MRC communications advisor Catherine St-Amour says she is unable to confirm it, given the absence of the assistant general manager, and that only he would be privy to such a detail.

Nevertheless, Ms. St-Amour specifies that the recital originally presented will be corrected as follows: "CONSIDERING THAT the SHQ is micromanaging the activity at a disproportionately high administrative cost relative to the benefit of the activity".