Yesterday, the last plenary session of the Departmental Council of this year, 2020, was held both via videoconference and in person (to comply with health regulations). It’s a year that will need to be quickly turned over, while anticipating the harmful effects it will have on the overall situation of the Alpes-Maritimes department!
“2020 has been terrible! And like many of you, I can’t wait for us to turn the page on a dark period,” started Charles-Ange Ginésy in the preamble of this final departmental plenary session of the year. Storm Alex, the Notre-Dame Basilica attack, coronavirus… the factors that weakened the financial health of the department are numerous. It was also yesterday that the initial 2021 budget was unanimously passed (like the vast majority of the resolutions). It will be 1.578 billion euros compared to 1.429 billion euros in 2020. A significant increase explained by various “unpredictable” points requiring strong financial support for the populations.
Storm Alex forces the department to increase the total investment expenditure, which is thus raised to 350 million euros, partly financed by a special 200 million euro loan mobilized for this occasion. While the president of the Departmental Council highlighted and thanked his PACA region counterpart, Renaud Muselier, for his 50 million euro contribution to the valley reconstruction, Deputy Eric Ciotti was critical of the Government regarding the aid promised by the head of state a few days after the disaster (the exact amounts are not yet known) but especially concerning the coronavirus crisis: “Overall, regarding this crisis, our local authorities are not supported by the State […] There is not a euro of State aid for the 100 million euros we lost and the 50 million euros in expenses we incurred.”
These words were welcomed by all the departmental councillors who showed their full support in the vote of this initial budget. “Above all, we must prevent the Vésubie and Roya valleys from becoming deserted, that the residents who have lost their homes or businesses are tempted to leave or for those who have lost everything not to return,” explained Marie Louise Gourdon, echoing President Ginésy’s sentiments.
The same goes for the left-wing front, which nevertheless highlights a different point of view in the approach to this vote: “The presentation of the budget we are examining today could have been postponed due to the uncertainties regarding the resources we can actually expect from the State to support the reconstruction of the disaster-stricken valleys. Its maintenance before the end of the year, on the contrary, demonstrates a will that we share, to make strong commitments in response to the expectations of those suffering from the pandemic’s consequences and those facing very difficult situations due to the damage caused by the weather to private property and public facilities,” noted Francis Tujague.
Nevertheless, it remains that we will have to go through unprecedented economic difficulties that will set back the Alpes-Maritimes department by ten years.
