In a highly inflationary context combined with the reduction in State subsidies, many expected to see Avignon’s finances slip into the red zone. Oh surprise, no alarm bells rang out this Thursday, June 27, while the majority presented the final accounts for the 2023 financial year, even allowing themselves the luxury of increasing their gross savings to a historically high level. The increase in tax revenues through the increase in bases decided by the State – Cécile Helle having always refused to raise tax rates – was able to offset those of charges, contained at the cost of rigorous discipline.
A severe turn of the screw
To achieve this, the majority have deployed in recent years a strategy of resolute sobriety to reduce the bill for public lighting and install photovoltaic panels on certain municipal buildings. On the human resources side, the potion was bitter: non-replacement of one in two retirements, rationalization of organizations, limitation of overtime, etc.
The result is there: finances remain healthy and the community still manages to complete its investment projects, the achievements of which have been scrupulously reviewed by various zealots of the majority. Thus, this Thursday, June 27, the presentation of this financial report took, casually, the form of a simple report for Cécile Helle’s team, at the helm of the City for ten years. With the measure we know for her, the elected opposition RN, Anne-Sophie Rigault, took out the penknife to lacerate the beautiful image of a city in movement and which she diagnoses, for her part, in a state of “clinical death”. Not hesitating to question the sincerity of the assessment presented accused of “distort the truth”she concluded with an address to the people of Avignon: “Courage, it’s almost over!”
The response was not long in coming, scathing. “I find it hard to understand this inability to rejoice when good things happen, replied Cécile Helle, mentioning in particular the sports field and the future sports hall with the “enchanted forest” project in gestation at Pont-des-deux-Eaux. “We’re going to invite you, it’s going to put you in the mood of enchantment”the mayor says ironically.
At the end of this council, there is no longer any doubt: the 2026 elections are now on everyone’s minds.
