Fashions come and go. We experienced the era of outsourcing public services based on the principle that managerial management ensured skills and above all, productivity, positively impacting rates to the benefit of the citizen and the client. States and municipalities did not hesitate to apply this model in the name of modernity.
Today, it’s the same story all over again: We are returning to public service in the name of the common good. It was discovered that what glitters is not always gold and that, sometimes, certain profit margins were somewhat speculative.
Finally, in these times of crisis, political decision-makers chase after the wind of consensus and we know that Christian Estrosi is second to none when it comes to action/reaction!
Announced at the Metropolitan Council meeting on September 21, 2012, the resumption of the Public Service Delegation (DSP), related to the management of drinking water in the territory of the City of Nice (which will end on February 3, 2015) is practically done: The next Metropolitan Council on March 29 will endorse the decision.
The technical, legal, and financial audits conducted for over a year by the Metropolis services, assisted by “independent” consultants, have bolstered Christian Estrosi in his decision.
The municipalities of Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Cap d’Ail, Eze, and Villefranche-sur-Mer, whose current contract with the Compagnie Générale des Eaux ends on September 14, 2014, as well as the Isola 2000 station managed by Veolia until June 30 of that year, will follow the same path as the capital of the metropolis.
Christian Estrosi insisted on “a political choice” and a necessity: “to offer everyone the best quality of service at the best price”.
One might wonder, however, how this will be possible? Because there are two possibilities: Either there has been a disproportionate profit from the concessionaire so far, or the Metropolis services have exceptional operational capacities since this same service will cost significantly less (We are not talking about a few percentage points but much more).
It would be interesting to know the reason behind it all or, failing that, the explanation for the reasoning?
