A political shift is underway in the South Shore city of Châteauguay.
A new mayor, Pierre-Paul Routhier, was elected Sunday night with almost 48 per cent of the popular vote in a three-way race.
Routhier, a lawyer and entrepreneur, told Global News he doesn’t like the direction the city is heading.
He argues residential property taxes are too high, the city’s debt level is too large and not enough is being done to encourage new businesses to develop.
“We will go forward. We will go to the business we will not wait for the business to come to our place. We will go wherever there is some activity. We will participate to let people know Châteauguay exists,” Routhier told Global News.
This is Routhier’s first run for office at the municipal level. He previously ran for an MP seat as a member of the Conservative Party in 2008.
One of the first orders of business for the incoming mayor is to meet with the heads of the local fire and police departments to learn what strategies are in place in the event of a natural disaster or attack.
And he wants to get the city out of, what he considers, a depressed state of mind.
“We would like to have this rebirth being felt, so that people will enjoy their city. Put a smile back on their face,” he said.
One person who is not smiling is Nathalie Simon.
The outgoing mayor served the residents of Châteauguay for eight years.
Simon was hoping for a third term insisting her work wasn’t done.
The mayor says she too is in favour of new economic development. But not at any cost.
“You have to understand that Châteauguay is built at about 95 per cent. It’s not like building in a field without anything,” Simon told Global News outside of city hall.
Simon fears the city of more than 46,000 is heading in the wrong direction with very little emphasis on protecting the environment.
As for her future — Simon hasn’t decided. The mayor plans to reflect on her plans during the next several days.
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