The Association of Mayors of France of Gard protests against an “unprecedented drain of 8.75 billion euros”, in France, against communities

A drain of 800 million euros on the Value Added Tax Compensation Fund (FCTVA), a levy of 3 billion euros on large communities, a reduction in allocations of 500 million euros with the freezing of several endowments, the cut of the green fund of 1.5 billion euros… the list is long of the sums eliminated this year by the finance bill which were initially to go to local authorities. A total estimated at 8.75 billion euros, a “unprecedented puncture” according to the Association of French Mayors and Presidents of EPCI (AMF).

“Local authorities are not the cause of the national deficit”

It is for this reason that Philippe Ribot, president of the AMF for Gard, went this Tuesday morning to the Gard prefecture accompanied by several elected officials (the first deputy of Nîmes Julien Plantier, the mayor of Milhaud Jean- Luc Descloux, the departmental councilor and mayor of Saint-Césaire-de-Gauzignan Frédéric Gras, etc.). “The message is that in no case are local authorities the cause of the national deficitexplains Philippe Ribot. Under no circumstances should they be the solution.” Refusing, like the chief of staff of Nîmes métropole Bernard Baumelou (read opposite) “to contrast small and large communities”Philippe Ribot believes he had an attentive ear from the prefect of Gard Jérômes Bonet, his chief of staff Marie-Charlotte Euvrard and his secretary general Yann Gerard.

Apart from departmental actions, the mayors of France are planning collective action next Tuesday, at the congress of mayors in Paris, Porte de Versailles.