The mayor of Marmande takes strict measures after lively discussions in the municipal council

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The last municipal council of the year 2024in Marmande, in Lot-et-Garonne, will have taken place much more calmly than that of last November 25 where lively exchanges between the opposition and the first deputy, Charles Cillières, punctuated the end of the session.

If the 41 files presented to elected officials, mainly technical, were sent in just under two hours, the sequence of various questions was still less lively than three weeks ago, despite a few sticking points.

Three articles of the internal regulations cited

It must be said that, at the start of the session, Joël Hocquelet brought each of the elected officials back to their responsibilities. “ I don’t have the mentality of a school principal nor am I used to exercising my functions in an authoritarian manner,” he said in his opening remarks.

“I was a soldier for eight years and authority comes naturally to me. I have had subordinates and superiors, there was no need to tell me the same thing 36 times. Despite several reminders, I see clearly that this is not necessarily the case in this chamber, regarding all the councilors, opposition as well as the majority. »

The first councilor also specifies that he spoke about it to Charles Cillières, his first deputy, who was absent excused since he represented the town hall at the general assembly of US Marmande rugby. Following this, Joël Hocquelet therefore recalled three articles of the internal regulations which specify in particular that the time reserved for various questions at the end of the session is limited to 30 minutes, that 5 minutes are given to ask each question and that these “do not give rise to any debate or vote”.

A question about accessibility in the city

A reminder of the rules which has the merit of being clear. “From now on, I will come with the regulations, even if that is not my state of mind and, if necessary, we will give reminders. »

If the debates were generally calmed, the tone is inevitably raised during the three oral questions asked by the opposition, and in particular that of Valérie Pérali who questioned the mayor on the absence of a plan to make roads and public spaces accessible (PAVE), following the work of the rue Charles-de-Gaulle and place Clémenceau.

Joël Hocquelet recognized that there was “no formalized PAVE and this is also the case in other cities” while specifying that “ the departmental management of territories has not issued any comments on this subject during the work. While Valérie Pérali believes that it is difficult to get around for people with reduced mobility, the mayor wanted to contradict her.

“It would be a lie to say that it is as comfortable as smooth flooring, but I went to see the users with strollers, in walkers or in wheelchairs and I haven’t had any negative feedback. The place remains passable and compliant. » A debate which had to stop there, because it was the regulations which decided it.

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