Things are heating up before the municipal council this Monday, November 18, 2024 in Perpignan. Opposition elected official Bruno Nougaryède denounces significant increases in budgets for receptions, communication and litigation. While pointing out the reduction in subsidies from the Food Bank, divided by four. The City defends itself point by point.
“We had voted for a budget of €111,000 for receptions, we were asked to add an additional 108,000 euros. For advertising, we had budgeted 116,000 euros, now we are being asked to release €64,000 more. For legal acts and disputes, we had validated €151,000 and, here, we must extend €68,000“. THE “modifying decisions” of the budget of the City of Perpignan irritate the opposition elected official Bruno Nougayrède. They will be on the menu of the municipal council this Monday, November 18, 2024.
The one who has positioned himself on the starting line for the 2026 Municipal Elections criticizes these increases all the more because, during this same municipal council, “a drastic drop“subsidy is announced for the Food Bank.”In 2023, she received €20,000 from the City. This year, we are being asked to allocate only €5,000 to them. Their subsidy is therefore divided by four. Louis Aliot continues his political line. The city is almost bankrupt but we continue to spend money on parties, justice and communication. And, at the same time, we are cutting the Food Bank subsidy.”tackle Bruno Nougayrède.
Advertising budget on the risedue to the creation of six events” and to “the final of the Catalan Dragons”
By email, the town hall defends itself point by point. On the question of receptions, the municipality explains: “In 2024, the public relations department (DRP) transfers €80,000 of budget allocated to the Municipal Social Action Center (CCAS) for the distribution of the seniors' package. However, for technical questions, it was not possible for the CCAS to ensure this distribution, the budget was therefore returned to the DRP which has been piloting this operation since 2020. For the rest, these are transfers of internal end-of-year credits to the DRP, without additional allocation to the service“.
For the growth of the advertising budget, the City justifies: “The communications department has an increase in expenses relating to advertising insertions of €47,270. It is due to the creation of six events (Three Kings, Gospel of the Sanch, Water Festival show, Spring of Freedom of Expression, Surrealist Parade, Agricultural Festival). In addition, we promoted the Catalans Dragons final which was not predictable.”.
As for disputes, the services of the municipality of Louis Aliot speak of a phenomenon of lag in payments. “The increase is mainly due to a mechanical effect linked to the completion of numerous old files, the oldest of which date back 5 years.“.
The City confirms the division by four of the Food Bank subsidy. “It displays €357,071 in availability at the close of the 2023 financial year, for a forecast budget of €802,433. The funds not granted to the Food Bank will make it possible to grant other associations subsidies for new requests: in particular the Cataladon association for the first year (€1,500), Zakhor for memory (plus €3,500 in relation to last year)“. This latter association does not intervene in providing food to the most deprived. This committee, chaired by Philippe Benguigui, a close friend of Louis Aliot, works to support the memory of the Shoah.
