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The budget orientation debate for 2017 (the provisional budget will be voted on in February) was the main focus of yesterday’s long and dispersive municipal council session.
It was learned that despite a further reduction of 10.8 million euros in state allocations, taxation rates would remain the same as a percentage, and the increase Niçois will pay will be due to the reassessment of the tax base.
In fact, comparisons with other cities on this subject are quite futile: what importance does it have if a few hundred kilometers from one’s home there is a difference of a few percentage points or decimal points in taxation rates?
Despite this, Christian Estrosi’s team does not renounce its ambitious plans (and they are numerous!) regarding investment, which will remain 80/85 million to finance the many ongoing projects in various sectors such as security, economic, equipment, and real estate.
The debt will remain at 497 million (382 + 114 for the stadium), secured by loans at fairly low rates.
How to achieve this if revenues do not increase? By controlling personnel costs, reducing operational expenses (revision of the organization and structures, more selective contributions to satellite bodies and associations), and resorting to external financing such as the Region and other national and European sources, as well as selling assets.
With his triple role as the city’s “boss”, President of the Metropolis and the Region, Christian Estrosi aims to be the best ambassador for Nice: the Territorial Balance Contract 2016-8 between the Region and the Metropolis for an amount of 50 million euros will obviously greatly benefit Nice, which has already received 7 million for the Grand Stade financing, 11 million for the 40-meter road project (essential for the OIN operation), and 20.8 million for tram line 2, which will connect the Allianz Riviera.
And it’s not over, as Christian Estrosi wants to make up for lost time: “Nice has been ignored by the Region for 18 years”… a delight for cultural and sports associations that will be supported with substantial grants.
Last figure: the debt discharge capacity should be 12.5 years in 2016, well below the 19-year limit set by the CRC.
From the opposition side, Dominique Boy-Mottard (PRG) lamented a lack of consultation between the majority and opposition, while the ecologist Juliette Chesnel-Le Roux wonders: “what place, what energy actions” when the reduction in allocations imposes real budgetary constraints?
Finally, for the opposition leader Patrick Allemand: “the city’s financial situation is far from improving”.
The proof? The self-financing capacity is negative (33 million in 2017, 20 million in 2018) while the capital repayment will be 47 million in 2017, reaching 50 million in 2020.
Conclusion: green light and commendation for the “tandem” holding the keys to the city, red light and postponed for the opponents who will return during the Provisional Budget discussion.
Several other issues deserve reflection
The Acropolis Congress and Exhibition Palace will change governance in 2018: a joint stock company (SEMOP, composed of 51% by the City, and with minority shareholders Caisse des Dépôts, a professional operator to be selected) will manage it in place of the current operator (GL events).
A solution that must consider the future 70,000 m² Exhibition Palace in the Grand Arénas and the probable transformation of the Exhibition Palace into a sports complex.
The Halle de la Gare du Sud project, which aims mainly at the rehabilitation of the Libération district. A competition will be launched to find a solution that completes and integrates the current Raoul Mille library, the underground parking, and the spaces for the repositioning of the fruit and vegetable market, sports, and associative spaces, and the real estate aspect that are already planned.
A whole that, “if it will not resemble Covent Garden at all” (said Dominique Boy-Mottard), still deserves not to become yet another flavorless and odorless shopping gallery.
Other deliberations…
the rehabilitation and securing works of the Promenade will continue up to Lenval Hospital (in truth, this has been announced several times already, but as taught in communication techniques, repeating the same thing several times leads to believing it is new information)
the securing of nurseries and schools will also be extended to private institutions.
Finally, good news for symphony enthusiasts: the Nice Opera Orchestra has a new director. It is a very good name but… we will not reveal it, respecting the official communication.
