At the regular meeting of the Council of Mayors of the MRC Pontiac held on December 17, the Council adopted a balanced budget of $11.1 million for 2026, of which $6.4 million comes from government grants and revenues generated by services provided by the MRC. By comparison, the 2025 budget totalled $8.9 million, including $4.7 million in grants and service-related revenues.
Through this budget, MRC Pontiac reaffirms its commitment to promoting the economic development of its territory, while rigorously exercising its core responsibilities, including property assessment, public safety, land-use planning, and environmental management.
The budget process took place in a context of significant increases in non-discretionary expenditures, requiring thoughtful and responsible choices. These include the replacement of outdated electrical panels, a substantial volume of property assessment appeal requests, the inspection of bridges in the Cycloparc PPJ (which is leased to snowmobile clubs during the winter season), compliance with obligations under the fire risk coverage plan, as well as increases in employee collective insurance contributions. Mindful of supporting municipalities while maintaining financial discipline, the MRC managed to limit the increase in municipal contributions to 3.24%, notably through the allocation of a portion of the budget surplus.
“With this balanced budget, MRC Pontiac continues to support our municipalities while investing responsibly in the services and infrastructure that strengthen our community. We remain committed to fostering economic growth and at the same time the priority of affordability for residents across our territory. We have focused on fulfilling our duties in fire safety, waste management, and territorial development.”, says Jane Toller, Warden of the MRC Pontiac.
Highlights of the 2026 budget include:
Total MRC Pontiac expenditures: $11.1 million
Grants and revenues from services: $6.4 million
Expenditure by department:
- Administration: $2,281,262
- Public Safety: $215,566
- Assessment: $1,423,971
- Environmental health: $77,157
- Land Use Planning and Development: $903,657
- Economic Development Projects and Activities: $5,443,461
- Transportation: $613,000
- Renovation programs: $31,500
- Financing costs and capital expenditures: $94,658
- Warden election costs by universal vote (pro-rated over four years): $20,000
The municipal share has been reduced from $0.1026 to $0.1008 per $100 of standardized property value.
