Property owners in Les Cèdres can expect a property tax increase of 2.78% for the year 2025. At least, that's what emerges from the municipal budget adopted by Council on December 4.

“All the increases are uniform, which means that the Municipality has readjusted the indexation of the tax rate to reach a rate that is very close to the current consumer price index,” explained Director General Jimmy Poulin.

So, for an average single-family residence valued at $440,293, we're talking about a tax rate of $0.4625 per $100 of assessment, or about $55 for the coming year.

For buildings with six or more dwellings, the rate will be $0.4933 per $100 of assessment. For commercial properties, the rate will be $0.9558; for industrial properties, $1.3156 per $100 of assessment; for vacant lots, $0.9250; and for agricultural properties, $0.4625. 

In addition to the property tax, various borrowing by-laws will increase from $254 to $285, domestic waste management will increase by $7, and organic waste management will rise by 29%, or $20 more than in 2024. 

As for wastewater management, citizens will see their bill decrease by $15, or 4.9%. “This reduction is possible thanks to the suspension of the reserve for the emptying of aerated ponds. Given that major investments will be required over the next three years, Council has decided to suspend the emptying of the aerated ponds,” explained the General Manager.

Citizens will also not have to pay for the collection of recyclable materials, as the MRC has decided not to pass on the bill to the municipalities. “In 2025, there will be changes in the governance of the management of recyclable materials. This represents a saving of $75 for the citizens of Les Cèdres,” adds Mr. Poulin. 

Major projects on the table

As for the operating budget for 2025, the municipal council has agreed on a sum of $13,645,155.

As with other towns and municipalities, most of the funds will come from taxation, i.e. over $11.4 million. Other sources of revenue will mainly come from government compensation, grants and the imposition of fees, fines, penalties and the like.

Operating expenses will also rise, reaching $12,671,294 compared with $11,665,800 in 2024. This increase is attributable to several factors, notably the indexation of salaries and the addition of staff. The increase in various contributions, such as that of the Sûreté du Québec, whose bill will rise from $1,489,778 to $1,661,709 in 2025, or that of the MRC, $679,037 in 2024 versus $763,166 in 2025, also explains the rise in expenses.  

The amount devoted to repayment of long-term debt will also be higher for the new fiscal year, at $973,861. In 2024, the same budget item was $814,195. 

The largest anticipated expenditures are as follows: 

General administration: $2,578,173; 
Public safety: $2,599,468; 
Transportation: $2,285,621;
Environmental health: $2,420,411; 
Urban planning: $882,852; 
Recreation and culture: $1,362,156; 
Other expenses: $542,613.  

The municipal council took advantage of the special meeting to adopt its new three-year capital expenditure plan (PTI) for the years 2025, 2026 and 2027.

Several major investment projects are on the table, particularly for 2025. These include

- repairs to chemin du Fleuve at 170 chemin du Fleuve: $1,331,000

- Rehabilitation of the Wallot stream culvert: $1,500,000

- Reprofiling of Daoust ($2,700,000), Sophie ($1,800,000) and Marsan ($3,000,000) ditches

- Installation of an archive room and new offices at Hôtel-de-Ville: $150,000

- replacement of a snowplow with abrasive spreader: $400,000;

- Improvements to the water playground: $30,880;

- resurfacing of the skatepark/outdoor skating rink: $33,300.

The complete renovation of the Volunteer Pavilion, a project postponed for several years, was estimated at $3,900,000. The general manager pointed out, however, that a 60% subsidy had already been approved for this project.

“The Board has carefully planned future investments for the next three years. Many of these investments are necessary... It's important for people to understand that the three-year capital plan is a planning exercise. Will all these projects come to fruition? We hope so, but the Board will have to prioritize them,” said Jimmy Poulin.

“Many of these projects depend on subsidies. So, depending on the percentage of subsidies granted, that's when the council will make the decision whether or not to go ahead with the project,” added Mayor Bernard Daoust.