The only opposition elected official in Longueuil, Jacques Lemire, lost his right to sit on the municipal council because he “did not produce the party’s annual financial report within the required timeframe”. In Quebec, municipal parties had until April 1 to do so.
“I inform you that Jacques Lemire, of the Longueuil Ensemble party, loses the right to attend, as a member, the meetings of the council of the municipality as of April 13, 2023, since his official representative, Jean- Bernard Aurouze, did not produce the party’s annual financial report within the required time, “said the director of finances and treasurer of the City of Longueuil, Sylvie Toupin, in a letter sent to elected officials Thursday at the start of the day.
Ms. Toupin points out that “the loss of this right entails, in addition, the loss of the right to attend, as a member, the meetings of councils, committees or commissions”. Fines ranging from $100 to $3,000 are provided for an elected official who appears in a proceeding without having the right to do so. In the event of a repeat offense, the fine can range from $200 to $6,000.
Moreover, under Article 512 of the Act respecting elections and referendums in municipalities (AERM), “the person who has lost the right to attend the meetings loses […] that of receiving remuneration or the allowance provided for each session that she cannot attend, ”wrote the lawyer.
The spokesperson for the Chief Electoral Officer of Quebec (DGEQ), Julie St-Arnaud Drolet, confirms that “the date of submission of the annual financial report by the official representative is April 1 of each year, for the preceding financial year. “.
“At the municipal level, this report must be given to the treasurer of the municipality, who makes a first examination before sending us the data for verification purposes,” she argues, without offering any further comments on the specific case of Ms. . The sights.
An experienced municipal elected official, Jacques Lemire has been a councilor for the district of Laflèche, in the borough of Saint-Hubert, for more than 25 years now. He also kept his district with a strong majority in the last elections, or 50.77% of the votes.
Since 2021, however, all the rest of the council has not been in its favour: Coalition Longueuil, led by Catherine Fournier, has 13 council seats, in addition to the town hall. The other three elected officials – those of Option Greenfield Park: Sylvain Joly, Susan Rasmussen and Éric Normandin – support Ms. Fournier’s party.
Shortly after the election, Mr. Lemire had also promised to work “in a different way” and to have a “constructive” approach. “I will be vigilant to ensure that we are stepping forward, every day. I wish everyone a happy four years, in harmony and cooperation,” he said.
