Calculators are heating up, minds are heating up. The big financiers of the municipalities of France are tearing their hair out to construct their budget after the savings announcements made by the government.
It was necessary to find five billion savings for communities crying out for financial strangulation, while they must complete the last budget before the municipal campaign.
Thursday, November 21, 2024, the mayors of France were watching for announcements from the Prime Minister at the end of the congress in Paris. The mayor of Poitiers was there. On return, Friday, Léonore Moncond'huy shares “his disappointment” and a feeling « d’injustice ».
“He failed to raise the message of injustice”
“Despite some messages of love addressed to the municipalities, he did not succeed in lifting the message of injustice shared by most mayors. These measures are paradoxical, they want to limit the State's debt but they will increase ours to keep our commitments. »
Touch taxes?
Currently, for the City of Poitiers, the measures announced represent approximately 2.5 million euros less direct measures and 4 million euros including indirect measures. A big hole that calls for drastic, difficult and infuriating choices.
Increase local taxes? “I hope not to have to do it, the budget hypothesis on which we are working does not take into account any changes in taxation this year”indicates the mayor. The government's plan for severe savings over several years does not guarantee that we will not have to resort to them in subsequent years.
The overall envelope for subsidies to associations will be “sanctuary”, which therefore does not exclude differentiated arbitrations depending on the structures.
“Get to the point”
If the major projects launched will suffer neither stoppage nor delay, the new projects will be scrutinized. The town hall wants to touch as little as possible on investments.
Who will suffer? Services to the public! “We won’t delete any but we will have to get to the essentials. We won't be able to take note of what works and extend it. Holidays for everyone, we won't increase the budget, it's a shame because it's a hit! »
Swimming in Tison cannot be expanded. The City could stop insuring certain equipment in view of the exorbitant prices. It will be necessary to scale back certain events or not launch new ones.
Attentive du vote final du budget
Nothing is definitively set in stone yet. Indeed, the finance bill arrives for debate in the Senate in public session this Monday. Elected officials from the right and the center, in the majority, intend to mitigate the blow affecting communities through amendments.
But the contours of this 2025 state budget remain unknown. It can even bring the government down to the mercy of a motion of censure.
Poitiers will have to vote its own anyway. It will be February 10, 2025. The main budgetary guidelines will be debated on December 16 (1). Time for choices.
(1) The Poitiers municipal council will put to the vote, on December 16, the motion of the Association of Mayors of France denouncing the budget cuts imposed on communities.
Extracurricular activities hit hard
He had been under threat for a long time. The support fund for extracurricular activities has now been abolished. In Poitiers, €600,000 vanished.
“To maintain the current service, that means that we will have to compensate up to this amount for the State's disengagement. We will therefore not be able to make improvements to the service, the priority will be to preserve the service as it already exists,” explains the mayor of Poitiers.
The Green Fund had made it possible to green schools. It is planed. “For us, that means reducing or postponing school energy renovation projects. »
