|
Dave Rogers
The
Ottawa Citizen
May 19, 2004
Municipal
independence activists who want to separate Buckingham from Gatineau
said yesterday they have enough signatures to hold a demerger
referendum on June 20.
Carl Simpson,
the demerger spokesman in Buckingham, said 889 people had signed the
municipal register by the afternoon, enough to trigger a referendum
on independence in the former municipality of 8,889 people.
Under Quebec
law, 10 per cent of registered voters must sign municipal registers
to hold a demerger referendum.
A former municipality can achieve partial independence if a majority
representing 35 per cent of registered voters choose to separate
|
|
from an amalgamated city.
Gatineau will
release the results of the register process at Maison du Citoyen
tomorrow.Mr. Simpson
said Buckingham residents are interested in reviving the former
municipality because taxes have increased and municipal services
have declined in their sector of Gatineau since the Parti Quebecois
government established the city in 2002.
"We want people
to continue to sign the register so the provincial government will
realize we are serious and treat us with respect," Mr. Simpson said.
"It is as if we don't have a councillor representing us.
Mr. Simpson
said snow removal and street cleaning have been reduced under
amalgamation while taxes have increased slightly. He said the mayor
is arrogant and doesn't listen to what Buckingham residents want.
|