It is a squeaky air which returns in all the greeting ceremonies in recent days in the Loiret, whether we are in Beauce, in Sologne or in the Orléans metropolis, which we hear in particular from the mayors marked with the left: a charge against the State which, a few months ago, blamed (among others) local authorities for the slippage in public accounts.
Christian Dumas, the socialist mayor of Ingré, elected since 2008, did not fail to add his verse on Monday January 13, during the greeting ceremony, relocated to the Jean-Zay village hall due to the work in progress at the Lionel-Boutrouche cultural space (we’ll come back to that).
From the couplet, and its verses, to the fable, there is only one step that we are all the more tempted to take when the mayor himself used the animal metaphor, regretting that “the State takes us for zebras.”
“State shortcomings”
Christian Dumas, on his perched platform, keeping his audience in suspense, charged the national elected officials:
“Having the public deficit borne by local authorities is unacceptable. We know, when we are a local authority, that we cannot spend more than we earn, unless we bump our heads”
And to give examples: “If we hire municipal police officers, it is because the State does not ensure its public security mission; “if we recruit doctors, it is to make up for the state’s shortcomings.” And to remember that
“if we remove the effect of inflation, there is no significant increase in community personnel costs.”
The state cicada and the municipal ant… The municipalities, having been disillusioned all winter with the political spectacle, must nevertheless prepare a 2025 budget. “One might believe that we have reached the bottom, but after the bottom, it there is mud… We are in fact asked to build a primitive budget, without certainties, on its hypotheses. »
Numerous works
This message passed, the elected official, as if to prove to the State that we always need someone smaller (level) than ourselves, still rolled out, in a few words, the list of investments which are continuing in the common: work on the media library-game library began at the end of 2024, and right next door, the expansion of the Brice Fouquet stage at the Lionel-Boutrouche cultural space is underway (delivery planned in 2026).
The Region is continuing the construction of the Maurice-Genevoix gymnasium which must be delivered this year in the second half of the year. The extension of the municipal music school is also on the program for this busy year of work. A stabilization of construction is expected in the coming years, underlined the mayor.
“We approach all these challenges with serenity, with lucidity, conviction and ambition. I will ask elected officials to continue their commitment, the political situation must lead us to come together, fighting against all extremism,” insisted the mayor. Who could have concluded like this: “You were listening, well celebrate, now! », to start the convivial end-of-ceremony drink.
