$ 9,300 for the communication contract on tax credits
Mayor Steve Lussier believes that it was necessary to use a communications firm for the business tax credit file.
Share September 17, 2020 5:13 p.m. Share $ 9,300 for the communication contract on tax credits
Jonathan Custeau La Tribune In the end, the City of Sherbrooke spent $ 9,326.77 with the communication firm Flanagan Public Relations to support it in the file of tax credits granted to businesses. The mandate mentions about forty hours of work.
Councilor Évelyne Beaudin denounced on Facebook the use of a communication firm, believing that Mayor Steve Lussier was afraid of losing control of the message.
In the invoice, the public relations firm lists among its tasks the writing of a PowerPoint, the writing of an argument, a press release and a word from the mayor.
Even if the first speaker mentioned on the invoice is the director of the mayor's office, Julie Vinette, the contract was awarded by the general management. “They are the ones who chose the firm. It took a firm that understood the municipal scene, which included this file which nevertheless represents $ 75 million. In the normal course of things, because there were vacancies in communications, we had to go outside. Yes, there have been contacts with my firm for stowage. It was a very complex file for which we needed experienced people, ”explains Mayor Steve Lussier.
Does this mean that the employees of the Communications Department do not have the necessary experience? “The people in the Communications Department work very well. It was just that top management needed help. It is not the first time. In the context, it was the right choice. There were a lot of companies involved in this. “
Évelyne Beaudin persists and signs. “It strikes me as an unnecessary expense. People on the board have often said that there are no small savings and it doesn't seem clear whether the firm was hired by the general management or the town hall cabinet because the first contact of the firm , according to the invoice, is the director of the cabinet. This confirms that there is a confusion of genres, especially since there was a wording for the mayor. This work must be done by the firm or the Communications Department. It gives the impression that the administration sometimes crosses a border while playing politics. “
Ms. Beaudin does not believe the mayor when he argues that this expense is justified by the vacation of communications employees.
“That we try to cover this crisis is a problem and shows that the mayor cares more about his public image than the common good. “
Remember that the City must raise the ceiling for tax credits granted to businesses by 2031 from $ 28 to $ 75 million to honor its commitments. The City estimates that the revenues collected during this period, thanks to the companies concerned, would be $ 147 million.
