Do you support using public funds to build a new baseball stadium for a major league team in Montreal?
That's the question that should be put to Montrealers in a referendum, says the official opposition at city hall.
Projet Montreal said they'd like to follow the lead of cities in the U.S. which have held a referendum on spending taxpayer dollars on new stadiums, for example through increased sales taxes, hotel taxes or car rental taxes.
.@projetmontreal leader Valérie Plante says no public money for new baseball stadium without asking Montrealers first. #CJAD #polmtl pic.twitter.com/eYoVamL8qL
— Shuyee Lee (@sleeCJAD) April 13, 2017
"It is such an important expense that we need to ask Montrealers what they think of that and if they're willing that we use their money to build this stadium. So we want more transparency, we want Denis Coderre to be clear and honest about all the negotiations he's been doing behind closed doors. Montrealers deserve to know," said leader Valérie Plante.
Plante would not say whether a Projet Montreal administration would make this project a priority but that they'd have to balance it out with other pressing needs such as social housing and public transit.
Projet Montreal is tabling a motion at the next council meeting to ask that a referendum on the issue be held on municipal election day this November.