Boyer administration supports Action Laval soccer proposals

Opposition wants city to seek electronic voting and postpone property taxes

During the Dec. 5 session of Laval city council, Saint-Bruno city councillor David De Cotis tabled two resolutions aimed at supporting the development of soccer in Laval.

Action Laval city councillor for Saint-Bruno David De Cotis. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Newsfirst Multimedia)

The first seeks to recognize soccer as a sport that is played year-around in Laval, while the second would impose certain conditions on the financial support provided to the Complex multisport de Laval.

Along with his Action Laval council colleague, Val-des-Arbres city councillor Achille Cifelli, De Cotis and Cifelli reacted positively recently to news that the city has decided to go ahead with the two proposals, and without necessitating a debate in council over.

As everyone who has been watching the 2022 FIFA World Cup matches from Qatar over the past few weeks can attest, soccer is stronger than ever in popularity in Laval, and its growth as a sport can only be expected to continue.

Action Laval city councillor for Val des Arbres Archie Cifelli.

Last winter, according to De Cotis and Cifelli, soccer clubs and teams in Laval registered 3,500 players, while several other sports practiced during the winter, including hockey, figure skating, ringuette, basketball, gymnastics and chearleading, had far fewer registrations.

“Thanks to our proposals, soccer players will be able to play not only during the summer, but year-around,” said De Cotis. This is yet another victory for Action Laval.”

The opposition party thanked Mayor Stéphane Boyer’s administration for its support, while noting that two resolutions that were drafted were withdrawn from the Dec. 5 council meeting agenda since the administration accepted them in principle.

“The work by our team has borne fruit,” said Cifelli. “We are happy to see that conditions for soccer teams are improving and that youths will more easily be able to join up with these sports teams.”

Electronic voting in 2025?

During the same council meeting, Action Laval also tabled a resolution calling on the city to submit its candidacy to the provincial government to become eligible to hold elections electronically in 2025.

The resolution notes that the City of Montreal has already expressed an interest in electronic balloting and that Élection Québec is considering the implementation of it in municipalities of 20,000 or more residents.

As well, the resolution says voter participation in the 2021 elections was 28 per cent, while maintaining that electronic voting might help improve participation in future elections.

Seeking tax bill deferral

And finally, Action Laval councillors tabled a resolution at the Dec. 5 meeting calling on the administration to postpone payment of municipal tax bills in 2023 so that property owners are given a break during these trying inflationary times.

“Inflation has a direct impact on the capacity to pay by Laval residents,” it states, noting that the coming year could be very challenging financially for families and individuals living in Laval, and that soaring interest rates are making things even harder. The resolution asks the city to postpone tax bill payments until June and September, whereas they are now due in March and June.