Doing democracy right

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Recent editorials in the Journal have raised issues around the lack of responsibility elected officials or others in positions of authority often hide behind: “Just doing my job!”, “Just following orders!”, and the classic buck-passing: “That’s not my responsibility, that’s
another level or department’s responsibility.” But in this sea of do-nothings, a tide of DO SOMETHING has arisen from an unlikely source: the small Municipality of Alleyn-et-Cawood.

Tucked away in the woods on the eastern border of the Pontiac, Alleyn-et-Cawood is often overlooked. But David has stepped forward from this small community to take on Goliath – the provincial government.

It all started in February when residents received a notice with their property tax bills indicating a comparative factor of 3.7 for 2024, which could increase property values by 370%, resulting in a significant increase in taxes. Residents were outraged and went to
their municipal council demanding answers and action. Rather than shrugging and providing the default political response of: “That’s not our responsibility. That’s the MRC. It’s the evaluator. There’s nothing we can do about it.” Both the council and the municipality listened and stepped up. They didn’t pass the buck. Instead, they said: “You’re right, this is wrong, it isn’t fair, let’s see how we can fix it.” They rolled up their sleeves and they went to work on behalf of their citizens, and alongside their citizens. Imagine that!

First, they created a task force composed of elected officials (including the mayor), municipal administrators (the director general), councillors, and residents. They came up with a plan and they put it in action. They created a local petition, went door to door, and
collected more than 300 signatures in 11 days. They presented that petition to the municipal council and then they created a provincial petition and recruited MNA André Fortin to register it at the National Assembly. The petition challenges the relevance of the comparative factor and calls for a review of the assessment role process.

All the while, the Municipality has kept residents informed on their progress and educated
them about how the flawed system works – or rather doesn’t. They held a town hall meeting to explain the assessment role process, the work of the task force, and to take questions from residents.

This is how a liberal democracy should function, and I commend the officials in Alleyn-et-Cawood for their action. THIS is how to do the job. Not resting on your laurels and shrugging everything off as the next level of government’s responsibility while collecting a comfortable paycheque. Don’t just do your job, do better than your job! And look to Alleyn-et-Cawood for how it’s done.

The provincial petition can be found here: https://www.assnat.qc.ca/en/exprimez-votre-
opinion/petition/Petition-10859