these local elected officials are standing up against the budgetary restrictions promised to them by the State

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The discontent has taken different forms over the past few weeks. Local elected officials in Lauragais expect difficult monthswhile the 2025 finance bill currently under discussion in the National Assembly will certainly result in budget restrictions which will weigh on the finances of their communities. “When we see how the Government is having difficulty passing its own budget, we expect to have to make savings. And municipalities will be strongly impacted. We cannot yet measure its extent, but I think it will be painful », was particularly concerned Christian Portetthe president of the Terres du Lauragais intercommunality and mayor of Calmont, when voting in his municipality, Monday, November 4, on a motion aimed at marking the disapproval of the municipal assembly with regard to what the Government is preparing.

What does the motion voted by several municipalities say?

The vote on a motion asking the Government to “review its position and renounce the drop in revenues and drains on the budgets of communities which, in finewill penalize citizens in their daily lives”, this is also the choice that was made by the Villefranche-de-Lauragais municipal council during its meeting on Tuesday, November 5.

“We recall that unlike the state budget in deficit every year for almost 50 years, local authorities must apply the golden rule which obliges them to respect the balance of their finances and which they cannot borrow to balance their operating expenses. Blaming France's debt situation on local authorities is unacceptable when their debt has remained stable for 30 years and even slightly decreasing, going from 9% of GDP in 1995 to 8.9% in 2023″, recalls in particular this text which was voted on that evening unanimously.

The commune of Villefranche has made its calculations

The municipality of Villefranche-de-Lauragais has also done its accounts in order to measure the impact that the future finance law could have on its budget. Delegated municipal councilor, Joëlle Louman mentioned in particular the freezing of allocations which would represent a loss of €10,000 for the community.

She also recalled that the increase in public pension contributions by four points would represent €83,000 in additional expenses for the municipality for the year 2025. “It is important to note that this CNRACL pension plan was in surplus since 1974 and that it made it possible to supplement the general plan by up to of 100 billion euros… The opposite is not proposed and we are instead asking communities to bear the burden…”, argued the elected official, emphasizing that the government also planned to continue these increases in contributions for three years. Before finally worrying about retroactive reduction of the VAT compensation fund which would result, at constant scope compared to 2024, and shortfall of €25,000 for the municipality in 2025. “Overall, these are therefore between €100,000 and €120,000 less financial leeway », she summed up.

Fears around roads, schools…

The municipal councilor highlighted another reason for concern: “Local authorities, such as the Departmental Council and the Regional Council, are also affected by this obligation of participation: they are essential financial partners for municipal investment and will see their room for maneuver will disappear, which will inevitably force them to make choices on the municipal investments that they will support. »

A subject on which Christian Portet also did not fail to alert, the day before, before his municipal council in Calmont: “ The Departmental Council will be missing 150 million euros to complete the budget. We therefore inevitably expect reductions in staffing even though he is very present at our side today. An example on roads: in Ariège, when a municipality obtains 20% aid from the Department, it is the end of the world, while we, in Haute-Garonne, are at 58%. »

Financial difficulties which, according to elected officials, will necessarily have consequences on the daily lives of those administered since they could also result in a degradation of public services. Joëlle Louman cited only one example: “At the same time and in an induced manner, other stated objectives affecting the daily lives of our fellow citizens do not fail to challenge us: this is particularly the case of the planned elimination, on the side of National Education, 3,155 positions only at nursery and elementary school level : let us remember over the last two years how tough the battle was to keep the positions subject to elimination for our schools. »

3.5 million less for Sicoval?

As for the community of communes of Sicoval, the observation is similar when estimating the consequences of the future finance law on the community's budget. And the encryption turns out to have a rather bitter taste.

« Sicoval will undoubtedly be missing almost 3.5 million euros in 2025. ; very clearly the first impact will be on investments and therefore in the chain, on the markets, businesses, employment, economic development of the territory. 3.5 million euros is also the total solidarity grant paid by Sicoval to its 36 member municipalities. For some, this allocation is essential to ensure their budget balance, this sheds light on the extent of the danger,” warns Bruno Caubetthe president of the conurbation community of south-east Toulouse.

Town halls close

To demonstrate his anger and his concern, the one who is also mayor of the small town of Issus went with other mayors of Sicoval, tricolor scarf on his chest, to the rally organized in front of the prefecture at the call of several elected officials.

That day, some town halls had also decided to symbolically close their doors as a sign of protest, as in Auterive.

“This closure, symbolic and exceptional, aims to denounce the Government's finance bill which provides forcut more than 5 billion euros from local authorities. In respect of public service, we welcome all people with appointments for passports, national identity cards and civil status emergencies such as deaths,” the community justified that day.

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