Cruas threatens to leave the community of municipalities Ardèche-Rhône-Coiron

This is the second time since 2020 that the Ardèche-Rhône-Coiron community of communes has reduced the aid provided to Cruas. 200,000 euros less in 2021 and 200,000 euros less expected in 2025. In total, Cruas will lose 400,000 euros from its budget, or 2.2% of the total sum. This aid is in fact an allocation of compensation. They come from taxes paid by companies and in this case mainly by the EDF Cruas power plant.

Better distribute the EDF windfall

The president of the Ardèche-Rhône-Coiron community of municipalities wishes to better distribute the sum of 8 million euros donated to the fifteen municipalities of his intermunicipality. “Today, the amount paid to Cruas is 1,250 euros per inhabitant while the average for other municipalities is 168 euros, which is seven times less“, explains Yves Boyer, the president of the community of communes. “But the context has changedcontinues the chosen one, “the DGF (total operating grant, funding for municipalities by the State) has fallen, inflation has cut into budgets and some small rural municipalities are having difficulty making ends meet..” Hence the need, according to Yves Boyer, to review the distribution of compensatory allocations granted to municipalities.

A decision without consultation, believes the mayor of Cruas

Tuesday, November 12, the Cruas municipal council unanimously adopted a wish to contest this decision. Mayor Rachel Cotta recognizes that Cruas receives more money but points out that the nuclear power plant is located in her town. The municipality has additional costs in terms of transport, schools among others. “I am not opposed to a different distribution and better aid for the municipalities most in difficulty“, explains Rachel Cotta. “We proposed a plan in 2021 when the community of municipalities reduced our compensatory allocations. He was not accepted. We are the only municipality in France which hosts a nuclear power plant and from which compensatory allocations are withdrawn against its will and without consultation..”

The mayor of Cruas is worried about future projects, particularly that of the swimming pool. An 8 million euro project for which it is awaiting aid from the community of municipalities. “I no longer know what we will have“, this Rachel Cotta.”400,000 euros is the operating cost of our future swimming pool.” Rachel Cotta even brandishes the supreme weapon: leave the Ardèche-Rhône-Coiron community of communes and join a neighboring intercommunality, for example that of Privas or that of Montélimar.