After several months of dealing with the MRC of Maskinongé, The New List finally obtained the financial portrait of Maskicom as of December 31, 2023. This portrait establishes the share of each municipal partner following the eight million dollar loan granted by the National Bank. The 12 municipalities all offered a guarantee regarding this loan necessary to launch the organization’s start-up work.
The debt initially amounted to $4,147,423.70. Thanks to a contribution of $1,966,655 from the government of Quebec and the payment of $25,774.46 in dividends from the bankruptcy trustee, this debt stands at just over $2.1 million.
Paul Carbonneau is happy that this file is finally closed.
“Everyone is relieved that it’s over. We don’t have to drag this out any longer. The municipalities know their figures. At least we know what’s happening and we can turn the page.”
— Paul Carbonneau, prefect of the MRC of Maskinongé
The prefect welcomes the contribution of the Quebec government which reduces the financial burden on Maskicom’s partners.
“It’s a good amount, though. The member municipalities would have liked more than that, but I think it went a long way.”
Saint Boniface in the first row
Saint-Boniface comes first in the ranking with a debt of $402,506.82. Saint-Alexis has the second largest debt, with an amount of $399,295.22.
With a debt of $251,385.59, Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc has the third highest debt. At the other end of the list, Saint-Sévère has the lowest debt, at $44,049.95.
However, some municipalities have already settled the bill in order to avoid paying interest charges. Saint-Sévère is part of the list, along with Saint-Mathieu, Saint-Léon-le-Grand, Charette, Saint-Édouard-de-Maskinongé and Sainte-Angèle-de-Prémont. Saint-Alexis paid $100,000 to reduce its debt.
Payment for these shares was made during the first months of 2024, meaning that the amounts disbursed may have been slightly higher than the data provided by the MRC of Maskinongé, given the current interest.
As a result of these payments, Maskicom’s net debt amounts to just over 1.4 million. This debt is subject to a loan settlement repayable over 10 years.
The final amount to be paid by the 12 municipalities was set according to the land wealth and population of each locality.
