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The Town of Two Mountains finished the fiscal year 2007 with a surplus of $6,913, compared with a surplus of $84,015 the year before, according to a report on last year's financial activities tabled during town council's June public meeting. Although the administration of Mayor Marc Lauzon has been making efforts to rein in the town's expenses and develop creative new ways to bring in income, the financial statement confirms the fears of critics of Lauzon, who have been lashing out at him for allegedly standing by as Two Mountains's once considerable surplus gradually dwindles.
Tax base limited
According to the statement, which was approved by chartered accountant Claude Théoret, an independent auditor with the firm Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton, Two Mountains had planned in its budget to spend $21,894,900 in 2007, and ended up spending $21,823,402. After subtracting a number of other expenses, the remaining surplus came in at just under $7,000. Two Mountains has no more territory available for real-estate development and as such has no significant future prospects for expanding its tax base. Lauzon has taken some initial steps to raise cash and reduce expenses, such as selling off some of the town's unnecessary real-estate holdings.
Snowfall expenses
Lauzon pointed out that this past winter's heavy snowfall has left many municipalities in more precarious financial straits than usual. "We could have said this year that because of the snow we would tax the citizens," he said, adding that there are many other factors that contributed to the town's operating expenses. "There were a whole bunch of situations, all of which lead us to conclude that to avoid a tax increase to the citizens we decided to do what we did." Apart from financial questions, town council dealt with a number of other issues during the June 12 meeting. A longstanding tradition during Two Mountains council meetings is to pay homage to couples who've been married for decades.
Couples honoured
During the meeting, Jean-Louis and Rolande Perrotte of Henri-Dunant St. were honoured for their 60 years of marriage. Lorne and Gertrude Farrell of 6th Ave. were cited on the 50th anniversary of their wedding. In other business, council gave permission to the Association of Volunteers of the Centre Hospitalier Saint-Eustache to have a roadblock fundraising event on Aug. 16 at the corner of 28th Ave. and boulevard des Promenades to raise money for the hospital. Council members approved a loan bylaw for $225,000 to reimburse some residents of Two Mountains for insurance premiums relating to a major rain storm that swept through the region in early August, 2006.
Employees hired
The town's fire department has hired three new full-time firefighters: Steeve Nguyen, Alexandre Lemaire and Benoit Taillefer, following a one-year probationary period. Three police officers have been promoted. Mario Lacombe becomes a sergeant-detective, Patrick Robinson becomes a liaison officer, and Annie Lessard becomes a sergeant-detective. Two new police officers have also been hired. They are Isabelle Massé-Asselin and Francis Larochelle. Although one resident objected, council approved a motion allowing beer to be sold during a major annual soccer tournament taking place in Central Park from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1. The purchase of a 2008 Chevrolet Impala for the police department was approved at a cost of nearly $27,000.
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