Group pledges to "help"
Calumet
maintain and improve services.
richard.mahoney@eap.on.ca
Butd’Auzacarguesthatcouncilmembers
station
G RENVILLE
- SUR
- LA
-R OUGE
have forgotten many taxpayers’ limited
ability to pay.
The council says it wants to elevate the
Robert d’Auzac insists that a citizens’
municipality. But to what level? People are
touted as
group can make positive contributions to
really fed up. These tax hikes have turned
the often heated debates at Grenville-sur-
out to beworst than anyone had imagined,”
la-Rouge town hall.
says d’Auzac.
The spokesperson for the Committed
As the owner of a waterfront property,
Citizens of Grenville-sur-la-Rouge says that
heritage
the retired Mazda executive has seen his
one of the group’s goal is to “offer help” to
taxes soar dramatically. “We are willing to
municipal council. “We are not going to
payourfairshare.Buttherearemanypeople
fight the people who have been elected,” he
on fixed incomes whomay lose their homes
stresses.
jewel
because of the tax increases. Whose income
However, at the same time, d’Auzac
has increased by 60 per cent in two years?”
believesthattherepresentativesneedareality
Whathasalsoriledmanyisthereception
check, a geography lesson and an attitude
newsroom@eap.on.ca
they have received. “Some of the answers
adjustment. “The council members have
G RENVILLE
- SUR
- LA
-R OUGE
that certain members of council have given
increased taxes over the past two years
have been insulting,” relates d’Auzac.
without thinking of the public. They must
D’Auzac unsuccessfully sought a
After dropping the former Calumet
think we are in Westmount. We have been
councillor post in 2007 and 2009. He had
station as a possible location for a new
hit with Westmout-level tax hikes, but we
served as a member of the planning
town hall, Grenville-sur-la-Rouge council
are one of the poorest municipalities in the
committee,untilMayorJohnSaywell,elected
is hoping to preserve the building as a
MRC d’Argenteuil,” states d’Auzac.
in December, gave him the boot. Saywell
heritage site.
Residentscomplainedwhentheirtaxbills
says that d’Auzac’s criticismwas a factor in
Builtin1877,thewoodenstructure,which
rose by 40 per cent last year and by 20 per
the decision.
nowbelongs to Les Chemins de fer Québec-
cent in 2011. But d’Auzac senses an
Kicked off committee
Gatineau, has been abandoned since 1970.
unprecedented sense of anger among
Unfazed,d’Auzacobserves:“TheGreeks
Considered a key component of the
taxpayers now. “Most people are part of the
said there was no democracy without
plannedrevitalizationofCalumet,thestation
silentmajority.Theygettheirtaxbills,shake
opposition.Whatisthis?Abananarepublic?”
recalls an era when rail was the prime from
their heads and put the cheque in the mail.
With a population of 2,800, Grenville-
oftransportation,carryingpeopleandgoods
But I have never before seen the level of
sur-la-Rouge simply cannot afford the $23
between Montréal and Ottawa.
frustration that I am seeing now,” says
million in “dreams” that council has
The Calumet station is described as a
d’Auzac.
projected in capital expenditures between
“heritage jewel,” and a fine representation
Farmer Jean Rodrigue rapidly collected
now and 2015, argues d’Auzac.
of the Eastlake style of architecture.
122 signatures when he went from door to
Citizens are angry that office staff has
Lastyear,themunicipalitycommissioned
door with a petition protesting the hikes.
increased and the municipality is engaged
a firm to conduct soil tests on the property.
The citizens’ group, which has about 25
in costly litigation with former employees.
The municipality holds Les Chemins de fer
members, has urged ratepayers to write, “I
“The new mayor is dreaming. He will
File photo
Québec-Gatineau responsible for the
Object,” on their cheque or tax slip when
never be able to achieve all of these dreams
Robert d’Auzac says that frustration has
contaminationonthelandandalsowantsto
they remit their tax payments.
because there will be nobody left in the
reached an unprecedented level in
prevent the company fromdemolishing the
Thecouncilreasonsthatthemunicipality
municipality,” states d’Auzac.
Grenville-sur-la-Rouge.
building.
must increase tax revenues in order to
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