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Faced with more positive accounts than expected, Courtepin is considering a tax cut.
Courtepin is in good financial health. © Charly Rappo
Published on 05/25/2024
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
Good surprise for Courtepin, noted Wednesday during the General Council meeting: the accounts show a profit of 2.5 million on a total of expenses of around 24 million, instead of the expected deficit of 1.2 million. This difference, according to the municipal councilor in charge of finances Eric Vonlanthen, is mainly explained by extraordinary tax revenues; linked to real estate gains or taxes on legal entities – business results being better than expected. The total investments completed in 2023 amount to 14 million.
The executive wanted to be “proactive”: It announced to the fifty members present that it would work this summer on a possible revision of the tax rate for 2025.
Daniel Werro of the Entente Bourgeois and member of the financial commission, encouraged him to make this reduction a reality via a reduction of 5 cents – or from 85 to 80 points – for the period 2025 to 2030, in order to reward taxpayers. Daniel Jorio, from the Pluriel-Plural group, also mentioned the possibility of bringing back projects previously abandoned for reasons of economy. Faced with these proposals and to facilitate the task of the Municipal Council, Franz Walter of the Entente Bourgeois suggested carrying out a consultative vote in order to better understand the options.
At the end of a break aimed at debating it, the executive, in agreement with the legislative office, considered that it was premature to vote the same evening. Especially since as Eric Vonlanthen explained, he has a plan: he will come to the September session with “at least three drafts” developed around the basic principle, on the effects of a possible tax cut – for example maintaining the financial plan as is and adding an amount dedicated to additional investments. From there, more precise work will be possible in order to be able to start in January with an ad hoc budget.
The executive also informed of the progress of various files, including wind power: He indicated that he had not yet discussed in detail the announcement in May from the Council of State, relating to the installation of measurement masts of winds on the 7 sites considered to host a wind farm. However, questioned by Jean-François Haas (Pluriel-Plural) who reminded him that the majority of citizens had opposed this pose during the consultative vote last year, municipal councilor Mario Wüthrich assured that “the municipality will hold take into account the consultative vote in the analysis of the mail of the Council of State.
