Still working on it

Well, it’s about time.

For 13 months, the structure of post-de-merger Montreal has been an exercise of frustration for West Island mayors and a pain in the wallet for taxpayers in the de-merged cities.

Until now, slight adjustments to the decrees that created the agglomeration have been made, but Charest and the Liberals have worked even harder avoiding the issue.

With a provincial election looming, Charest’s meeting with disgruntled

mayors appears to be a tactic to disarm the issue from blowing up during the campaign.

Promises of making the agglomeration more democratic and relief for suburban taxpayers will likely swirl about the room, but the mayors need Charest to come clean on what can be done.

Some critics of the West Island mayors say they should have realized making changes to the agglomeration body after it was in place was not going to be easy. Well, what was done and what wasn’t done correctly doesn’t erase the fact the current agglo set-up needs major work. More safeguards need to be put in place to make sure the mayor of Montreal alone does not decide what is a regional cost so that the price of years of mismanagement in that city are not unfairly downloaded to reconstituted municipalities.

Although a spring election is a possibility, some West Island mayors want changes made beforehand — or least some concrete proposals — not just vague promises of a better tomorrow.

Beaconsfield Mayor Bob Benedetti suggested fixing this problem by passing legislation through the National Assembly before the election call.

“(Charest) has ignored us for a year. It’s clear he doesn’t want this to be an election issue,” Benedetti told The Chronicle yesterday. “He might have gotten away with a Band-Aid six months ago but he won’t get away with a Band-Aid today.”

Meanwhile, Pointe Claire Mayor Bill McMurchie is banking Charest will give mayors a binding commitment to fix the agglo system heading into an election. “Whether we will receive anything hasn’t been decided, although we are optimistic,” he said.

Let’s hope the meeting with Charest and the mayors goes well, otherwise West Islanders will continue to face municipal woes for years to come.