Coffee with the Mayor

Reuel S. Amdur

Chelsea Mayor Pierre Guénard has initiated a novel way of communicating with residents.  He invites people to make coffee dates with him, giving them a half hour to discus whatever is on their mind.  We decided to try this out, so we arranged a session at 9:30 a.m. on December 12.  In our case, we substituted tea for coffee.  He accompanied the beverages with biscuits.

Guénard began by talking about his cup.  It was the handiwork of Carol Polansky Freimovitch, a local potter.  We then talked about his experience with this initiative.  “It is more relaxed than question period at Council meetings.”  He gave an example of one resident who told him he was shy, and this was a safe way to get his concerns expressed.  It was clear that the mayor also found the format personally rewarding.

So what do people want to discuss with him?  Safety in active mobility is a biggie.  People appreciate the lowering of the speed limit on Notch, Scott, and the 105.  They also want to talk about the National Capital Commission’s (NCC) refusal to pay designated taxes.

Guénard commented that the NCC tax issue leaves Chelsea in the middle.  “We don’t set the valuation.  That is done by the MRC des Collines.”  But the NCC chooses to defy the valuation, leaving Chelsea in the lurch, being short-changed and not knowing what to expect.  So It’s in court.  He acknowledged that he had discussions on the situation with federal Deputy Sophie Chatel, but he was not free to reveal what became of their exchange.

Chelsea has carried out careful analyses of its financial situation, he explained, and it has chosen to adopt a fiscally conservative path.  One must is the maintenance of infrastructure.  It is a case of pay now or pay more later.  While an increase of transfers from upper levels of government is needed, he does not see these as the whole answer.  Chelsea, he believes, must diversify its revenue sources, and he expects that real progress will come from greater reliance on grants.

We wanted to get his thoughts on former Gatineau Mayor Maxime Pednaud-Jobin’s advocacy of a municipal income tax, but Guénard found it difficult to get his head around the idea.