the headache of mayors facing savings imposed by the government

Is the municipal police as important as daycare centers or schools? It is this impossible question that the mayor of Talence (Gironde) is trying to answer. Due to the savings imposed by the government on local authorities, Emmanuel Sallaberry will have to find 2 million euros in savings to build his 2025 budget. That is to say the equivalent of the annual amount devoted to the municipal police or the canteens of his city. But for this centrist elected official, it is impossible to deprive himself of his municipal police officers and even less to cut school expenses.

“I don’t know where to find such sums in such a short time.”

Emmanuel Sallaberry, mayor of Talence

at franceinfo

Like many of his colleagues, the mayor of this town of 45,000 inhabitants located on the outskirts of Bordeaux will mobilize on Tuesday, November 19, at the opening of the Congress of Mayors of France in Paris. “Madness”, “austerity cure never seen before”… Emmanuel Sallaberry does not have words strong enough to express his anger at the savings – estimated at 5 billion euros by the State – required by the government on the functioning of the 450 largest local authorities. A decision that he judges “unfair”.

Pending the adoption of the next budget, which should “probably” be done by a 49.3 according to Prime Minister Michel Barnier, Emmanuel Sallaberry “prepared tracks and all of them hurt”. The centrist elected representative evokes a “hiring freeze” and talks about investment projects that will have to be “postponed”. To find money, the mayor of Talence has several options: reduce his spending, slow down investments (renovation of a school, work on roads, etc.), increase his revenue (increase in the price of the swimming pool, increase local taxes…) or even borrow money. And everyone has their red lines. For Emmanuel Sallaberry, touching the property tax is out of the question, so he is instead studying ways to curb his city’s spending.

“For the moment, we are telling associations not to incur expenses, but we know that sport and culture will be the first to drink, whereas just a few weeks ago, we were talking about the legacy of the Olympic Games. “

Emmanuel Sallaberry, mayor of Talence

at franceinfo

At the other end of France, in Verdun, in the Meuse, Samuel Hazard refuses to touch the associative fabric. “I can understand colleagues who have no choice, but I will not reduce aid and subsidies for cultural, sporting and social associations. This is what forms the foundation of our Republic and contributes to good living – together”explains the socialist mayor and president of the agglomeration, who will surely postpone some big projects if the government does not soften its approach. Among them: the renovation of a school, the resurfacing of a football field or the redevelopment of part of its city center. “I will freeze all recruitment and there will be non-renewed retirements”also regrets Samuel Hazard, whose city employs 373 civil servants.

Same case in La Rochelle, where the socialist mayor Jean-François Fountaine will not replace a few retirements. He estimated the savings to be made at 4.5 million euros for his town of 80,000 inhabitants and a little less (3.8 million) for the urban area he presides over. There too, the elected officials take out the calculator. “We are not going to stop ongoing projects, but where we have launched calls for tenders, we are going to postpone or even cancel projects”assures the mayor, who will not touch education and social issues. “Everything else will be questioned: sports and cultural policy, the environment.” To warn of the consequences of the 2025 finance bill on his municipality, the mayor installed a large banner on his town hall. “The end of support for all our associations or the end of funding for our school canteens? Do you find that unacceptable? We do too!” is it written on the large tarpaulin.

Other elected officials have opted for more unusual ideas. The mayor of Bron, near Lyon, has decided to cancel the 2025 greetings ceremony. “It is important that elected officials set an example when an additional effort is required of all French people”explains Jérémie Bréaud (Les Républicains) in Progress. The president of the departmental council of Haute-Marne, Nicolas Lacroix, has considered putting up for sale certain buildings made available to the State, reports The Worldwhile Samuel Hazard launched a general call for the resignation of local elected officials. A way to create an electric shock, according to him. “When we write to the President of the Republic, we get no answer. It’s not about resigning alone, but about creating a balance of power.”explains Samuel Hazard.

“If we do less work, who will scream? It’s the citizens, and they will attack the mayors.”

Samuel Hazard, mayor of Verdun

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The mayor of Verdun wants more “decentralization and autonomy” and less than “macronist verticality”. “When we have to say no to an association that has been waiting for two years for funding of 30,000 euros, people are not happy. And it’s the same for the resident who is waiting for their street to be renovated”explains Jean-François Debat, socialist mayor of Bourg-en-Bresse (Ain). He is preparing to increase his city’s debt to absorb “the shock”. For the rest, he “will sieve all expenses” and fears revisiting the ambition of certain events.

“We are going to make do with scraps and we will be forced to borrow more. We will invest less, while being more in debt than before.”

Jean-François Debat, mayor of Bourg-en-Bresse

at franceinfo

While local authorities represent 58% of public investments in France according to the General Inspectorate of Finance, some mayors are worried about the consequences of a slowdown in their investments. “There will be a drop in public procurement”worries Samuel Hazard, while Jean-François Fountaine fears new “layoffs”.

The general secretary of the Association of Mayors of France (AMF), Murielle Fabre, regrets that the government “puts bad management on communities” public accounts. “We are working to the nearest euro, and we will be on the edge next year,” worries the mayor of Lampertheim (Lower Rhine) near Strasbourg. “But the difficulty goes beyond 2025: we are reaching the end of a mandate extremely tiring and tiring where communities are increasingly hampered while citizens need something concrete and want us to act.” Exasperated by budget cuts, the president of the AMF, David Lisnard (LR), promised that the Congress of Mayors risked being the one “anger”. And that the elected officials could be “the next ‘yellow vests'”.