Thirty Departments are in virtual bankruptcy. Not that of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence whose elected officials were looking this Friday at the budgetary orientations of the community. But the situation is tense due to a drop in revenue – that of transfer taxes – and an increase in operating expenses: inflation of 4%, revaluation of solidarity allowances and the index point of civil servants.
Éliane Barreille, president of the Department, expressed her concern: “How can we cope when the Departments are the only communities without fiscal leverage?“She details:”It seems that we are being told of a reduction in endowment of 4.9 million to which we must add a 4% increase for the retirement contribution, which for us with 1,260 jobs, will generate a very significant expense. Of course, the reduction in the VAT Compensation Fund. And if we have a drop in activity, we actually have a drop in VAT returns…”
“Ambitious program”
The investment will be maintained. “We had nevertheless considerably reduced the Department’s debt, so we are still able to have an ambitious program. Since we had gone from 132 million euros of debt to 74 million this year, we will be able to re-leverage ourselves over the next three years and take on the big projects that are already in the pipeline, including one which is eminently important, which is the Pas de la Rochaille and the college of Mont-d’Or”in Manosque.
