Thursday evening, elected officials from Fréjus gathered in the Riculphe room of the town hall for a marathon session of the municipal council containing seventy-five points on the agenda. Without giving tongues the opportunity to warm up, the municipality’s single financial account was discussed from the first deliberation, reported by the deputy mayor responsible for finance, Gilles Longo.
Which succinctly mentioned the main data allowing one to find one’s way among the myriad of figures making up the municipality’s budget. Among these, we note:
A surplus result amounting to €4.7M (on a budget of €132M) which was notably possible by taking out loans of €14M. This surplus is also added to the results of previous years, bringing the municipality’s cash flow to €7.1 million.
A relatively stable investment which amounted to €33.5M in 2023 compared to €35.8M the previous year. With the main expenses: €12.7M for repayment of the debt, €7M for the renovation of the built heritage, in particular schools and €4.9M for the repair of roads and sidewalks.
A completion rate of 75% regarding these investments. That is to say the €33.5 million previously mentioned to be compared with the budgeted €44.6 million.
A growing tax product by 8.23% which amounts to €66.7M compared to €61.6M in 2022. An increase which is explained in particular by the increase in the tax bases, established by theIt istat and following inflation, up to 7.3%, or by the increase from 20 to 60% of the housing tax on second homes, adopted by the municipality.
€1.2 million in parking revenue now incorporated into the City’s budget due to the payment of these sums by the parking “management” for the first time in 2023. In return, the fee previously due to the city is no longer due, which represents a loss of €200,000.
A global operating grantallocated by the state, which is increasing slightly (1.5%) and amounted in 2023 to nearly €9.9M.
Financial charges which jump by 40%explained in particular by the fact that the municipality’s debt “is made up of 47% variable rates, which increased in 2023″.
Almost stable debt which amounted, as of December 31, to €151.6 million, compared to €150.9 million a year previously. However, the average rate increased from 2.8% to 3.61% due to the aforementioned variable rates. However, none of the borrowings are considered toxic.
Taxes, investments and debt blasted
Gilles Longo’s presentation completed, opposition elected official Emmanuel Bonnemain, unsurprisingly, criticized several points of these accounting results. “Property taxes, space and parking fees have increased. Operating expenses increase by 7.63%, above inflation. It is therefore the side of the costs resulting from your haphazard management, like the episode of the René-Char school, that we must look at. Above all, an increase in charges of more than €1M attributable to the transfer of charges from the parking authority to the detriment of the municipality with the sole aim of allowing it to finance the underground parking at Place de la République. Likewise, we could have avoided paying €139,000 to unsuccessful candidates for the La Baume super-school project. An expense that we would have avoided if you had renovated the current school as we proposed. In any case, with such degraded finances, what are your plans knowing that you no longer have any investment capacity except by resorting again and again to debt or to the increase in various and varied taxes?
Debt “rising” for Sert
The former deputy mayor for finance who passed into the minority, Richard Sert, for his part castigated “the increase in debt and financial charges”, but also the rate of achievement which, “despite your pharaonic announcements, were a flop”.
Naturally, Gilles Longo justified the municipality’s choices. “Place fees have increased to catch up with those of Saint-Raphaël and Roquebrune which remain above. The revenues and expenses of the parking authority are in balance so there is no subject. Compensated candidates are the key to having quality projects. The financial burden, the rates have increased, you have not missed it. Finally, the debt carried out on this mandate was aimed at the creation of the Childhood Centerlisted the city councilor.
Before asserting in turn: on the other hand, you did not talk about savings which have increased from 2 to 10M€ since 2014. As for the City’s debt reduction rate, it has gone from 59 years in 2014 to 15 years today. Finally, you usually argue that we are selling off our assets but since 2020, we have bought €12.5 million of land and sold it for only €6 million. That’s why I think our numbers are good.”
The conclusion, however, came to Emmanuel Bonnemain who insisted: “The debt increased from €143 million in 2014 to €152 million today. What do you blameIt istat, you do it yourself.”
