In February 2024, the Town Hall of Saint-Fraimbault-de-Prières (Nord-Mayenne) received a letter from the public services department, to inform it of the drop in tax revenue for the municipality of €70,000 for 2024. Shifting the budget of this municipality of 967 inhabitants from surplus to deficit.
“I immediately sought information from other municipalities, then I contacted Yannick Favennec, the deputy and Marie-Aimée Gaspari, the prefect”says Mayor Thierry Moutel.
Increase municipal revenue
Since 2016, there has been a tax on landfilling waste. However, landfill cells, like those of the Suez company located in Saint-Fraimbault-de-Prières, are no longer subject to property tax since a decision of the Council of State in 2022, agreeing with the company of Cleanliness and Environment of Normandy (SPEN), of the Veolia group, against a decision of the administrative court of Caen and setting precedent throughout France. “It’s not retroactive, fortunately”.
It was therefore voted during the municipal council of April 11, the increase in the property tax for the year 2024, on built and unbuilt buildings up to 5% of the municipal share. This measure made it possible to increase the municipality’s revenue by €20,000.
Read also: Taxes: four questions about the surge in property taxes
“It was necessary to consider cost-saving measures”
Despite this amount collected, the deficit remains at €19,000. It is postponed to 2025. “We knew from the start of the mandate that we had to consider cost-saving measures”testifies Pascale Zandronis, head of the opposition list. “A drop in revenue of €260,000 is forecast for 2025”due to the closure of the landfill.
The town hall is forced to finance urgent projects and delay those that can be: “There are essential developments, the repair of the Lande bridge, the belfry, but other developments will not be made this year. »
The soft connection of the station is postponed, the possible project of repurchase of the old station passes into the hands of EPFL, the National Association of Local Public Land Establishments, which helps municipalities to acquire buildings by reserving them for them 2 to 8 years old.
The tax increase had to be voted for a second time on May 30, 2024, “the April quorum was not respected” : being counted present by video was an exceptional measure of the pandemic, as confirmed by the prefecture’s equality service to the elected official. “The population entrusts us with a mandate, we must do things legally”, to avoid contesting the validity of the decision in court. Once again, the increase was voted unanimously.
