A new city of Montréal

On January 1, 2006, Montréal consisted of 19 boroughs, with 105 elected officials (the mayor, 19 borough mayors, 45 city councillors and 40 borough councillors). The city council was now made up of the mayor and 64 members from all boroughs. Each borough had a council and a mayor to manage local services.

The agglomeration council, a new political entity from Montréal, was created. It is responsible for managing services provided to residents of the island: the police department, the fire department, the wastewater treatment plant, the production of drinking water and property assesment. The agglomeration council is made up of 16 elected officials from Montréal and 15 from reconstituted municipalities.

The 15 municipalities of the island of Montréal that chose to demerge after the referendums of June 2004 were reconstituted. Local matters are within their jurisdiction.

The democratization process made great strides over the last 30 years.  The adoption of universal suffrage and the official recognition of municipal parties gave rise to numerous reforms that consolidated the political structure. Several forums now enable citizens to better understand the municipal government and voice their opinions. City council, agglomeration council, and the 19 borough council meetings are now open to the public and give citizens the opportunity to directly question their elected officials. The standing committees and the Office de consultation publique de Montréal are also forums for public consultations and participation. Information technologies, such as Internet, provide easy access to council agendas, minutes, briefs, reports and other vital documents.

The active participation of citizens represent the best guarantee of the vitality of the democratic process. It is essential for the evolution of democracy.