After the new increase in the price of water, Le Neubourg revolts

See my news
Follow Le Courrier de l’Eure

An increase that does not pass. The municipal council of Neubourg (Eure), Monday November 18, 2024, was the opportunity to Isabelle Vauquelin, the mayor of Neubourgto engage in a formal indictment against the Roumois and Plateau du Neubourg Water Union (SERPN), after the announcement of the new increase in its prices, Thursday, November 14.

“This is a 45% increase in price compared to 1^is January 2023, recalled the mayor of Neubourg. We and other municipalities have a disagreement on the means to achieve the necessary investments. No serious avenues for savings on operating expenses have been proposed. »

Isabelle Vauquelin highlighted a 34% increase in the union's personnel expenses from 2019 to 2023, as well as + 50% for operating expenses over the same period.

“Debatable modes of governance”

“We consider that the financial orientation of the SERPN places the efforts on users, without having a rational financial strategy,” criticized the elected official. Isabelle Vauquelin denounced, among other things, “questionable modes of governance”, a “lack of transparency, or even withholding information ».

According to her, the presentations made to elected officials would be oriented “in order to obtain a decision exclusively towards an increase in the price of water”.

“The break is complete”

“We do not recognize ourselves in this governance embodied by its president Dominique Medaerts, within an institution where the number of vice-presidents and the role of some of them raise questions. For some, we have not heard the sound of their voice for several years, criticized the mayor of Neubourg. At every opportunity, we express our disagreement. […] Today, the break is complete. We are held hostage in a system in which we have only one voice, although we represent 7% of subscribers and 10.5% of water consumed. »

Disapproving a price which is moving further and further away from the department's standards, which can be consulted on the Sispea observatory website, Isabelle Vauquelin announced that her municipality was going to “use all means at our disposal to oppose the policy of the SERPN “. “For us, the real courage, before voting for a price increase, is to make savings on the internal lifestyle of the SERPN,” she concluded.

Follow all the news from your favorite cities and media by subscribing to Mon Actu.