Luc Ferrandez takes aim at his own party

Plateau Mont Royal borough mayor Luc Ferrandez said his party acted like amateurs during the election campaign.

Speaking on 98.5 FM Wednesday morning, Ferrandez said his party, and mayor Valerie Plante, should not have made promises to limit tax increases to the rate of inflation.

"When it comes to taxes, it's a curveball. It was a mistake on our part, we should never have promised that in an election campaign. It was amateurish," said Ferrandez.

In the budget approved by city hall last month, the Plante administration raised property taxes and water taxes by an average of 3.3 percent, although some regions are seeing increases over 9 percent, while inflation for the Montreal region is expected to be 1.7 percent.

Ferrandez said the dissatisfaction with that decision is partially responsible for the administration's poor showing in the first opinion poll conducted since the election.

Ferrandez also sits on the Executive Committee that controls city hall, and is leading the push to restrict cars on Mount Royal, and he hinted that he will ban cars in other areas next month.

For her part Plante said she did think her administration was amateurish, and stuck to her position that the Coderre administration overspent and so tax increases were necessary.

Plante spoke to Ferrandez Wednesday morning and said he agreed that he should have chosen his words during the interview with more care.