the Saint-Nazaire metropolitan area plugs holes in budgets

See my news
Follow L’Écho de la Presqu’île

€47,000 on one side, €10,000 on the other: two important structures in the Saint-Nazaire region (Loire-Atlantique), the School of Fine Arts et the tourist officewill benefit from the aid exceptional of the agglomeration to balance their budget.

Enough to (almost) plug the holes, but under conditions.

Not enough students at the School of Fine Arts

The school located near the Théâtre de Saint-Nazaire actually shows a deficit of 72 000 €on a budget of 1.6 million euros. The reason: the structure only has 118 students even though it can accommodate 180.

For this year, it was targeting a workforce of 162, or 100 in university training for a national arts diploma (DNA); 62 in preparatory class including 22 internationals. But an initial assessment of registrations shows 118 students, i.e. 79 for DNA and 39 in prep class including 17 internationals.

To this is added “a underestimation fluids re-invoiced by the agglomeration”.

La Carene decided to help the school, but not up to the €72,000 requested. The agglomeration will cover almost two thirds, with 47,000 €, or 10,000 for non-registered students and 37,000 for the energy bill.

The school will have to finance the remaining €25,000 of Saint-Nazaire’s deficit from its own funds.

And the aid must remain exceptional: a new partnership pact is being studied and “the agglomeration is attentive to continuing efforts to optimize operating costs and to develop offensive strategies in terms of promoting the training offered , to stabilize student numbers and diversify revenues.”

Energy bill too heavy for Snat

Deficit also at the intercommunal tourist office (or Saint-Nazaire Agglomération Tourisme, Snat). Not for lack of visitors, since their number is up 6% compared to 2022, but for other reasons.

The first: the energy bill, very heavy to “maintain the temperature in museums and in particular Escal’Atlantic” (installed in the submarine base). The deliberation thus cites one of the contracts, increased by “more than 300%” over the last three years. The cost of external services is also increasing.

Result: a hole of €100,000. Which was already there in 2023 and which was €80,000 in 2022 – two deficits then filled by the agglomeration and the City of Saint-Nazaire. This time, Carene will be in charge.

Follow all the news from your favorite cities and media by subscribing to Mon Actu.