Morbihan
Published on October 19, 2024
It was a very bitter potion that David Lappartient, the president of the departmental council, served this Saturday morning to the mayors and presidents of EPCI (editor’s note: communities of municipalities) of Morbihan gathered on the occasion of their annual congress. This took place in Pluvigner in the presence of the prefect and Fabrice Loher, mayor of Lorient and brand new minister of the sea.
“We are in a budgetary impasse…” summarized David Lappartient. And yet, Morbihan is considered one of the best managed in France. However, the spectacular improvement in the post-COVID era which saw a spectacular increase in transfer taxes swell the department’s coffers is over. David Lappartient recalled that the department had redistributed these unexpected revenues to the municipalities, via a bonus allowing them to finance certain equipment. But for two years, these transfer taxes have been “in free fall”: – 31% or 57 million euros less. “It’s a gaping hole in our finances.” And at the same time social spending is soaring: +10% and they are obligatory because they are decided by the State. And on top of that are added the efforts requested from communities within the framework of the finance bill currently under discussion. Morbihan is one of the 450 largest communities which will have to put their hands in their pockets to contribute to the rebalancing of public accounts. Of the 5 billion requested, Morbihan will have to pay 21 million euros.
In short, an accumulation which leads to the observation made by the president of the Department of Morbihan: “today, the situation is not good” and it imposes very difficult budgetary choices. “The financial shock is unheard of, even for a department that we thought was sheltered from all this,” notes David Lappartient. He specified that the commitments and contracts made will be kept, that the department will exercise its skills “as best as possible” and that the priority will be to maintain financial balances. But for this “we are going to borrow in a reasonable way”, while until now, the department had managed to get out of debt by 54 million euros.
A suspension of aid to the territory and municipalities
But, that won’t be enough. “Arbitrations will be made in the coming days. It is planned to suspend aid to territories and policies. We no longer have the means,” he revealed, explaining that “100% of our aid to the territory would be borrowing for us”, which makes no sense, he believes. . He recalled, however, that the department has paid 185 million in aid to municipalities in 3 years “this is more than during the entire previous mandate”. This aid is the 5% increase in territorial solidarity, support for soft mobility, crossing works, heritage, nursery homes, the 15-fold increase in early childhood aid and the famous bonus of 2 times 50,000 euros financed by transfer taxes.
David Lappartient confirmed that the department will hold its budgetary orientation debate on November 8 and will vote on its budget at the beginning of December, but he warned “until then very painful decisions are to be expected”.
“Shock” announcements which, in turn, will have consequences on municipal budgets. A small glimmer of hope, David Lappartient specified that the devices in question would be reactivated “as soon as possible” and that some will perhaps be saved during future discussions.
Listen to David Lappartient’s speech to the mayors of Morbihan in our video. YOU you can also relive the mayors’ congress in full by clicking herei.
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