A Nice official denounces local autocratic drift and inappropriate public spending.
On June 1st, Dr. Marouane Bouloudhnine, an orthopedic surgeon and elected Municipal Councillor of Nice, had the unpleasant surprise of finding out that after his phone line was cut without notice, his office at the town hall is now inaccessible, as the lock had been changed.
This adds to the fact that his secretary was taken away from him, along with his delegations within the Municipal Council, which concerned health and sports.
Unable to access his belongings he needs, he contacted the general services of the Town Hall. An email from the Mayor’s Chief of Staff, Christian Estrosi, then formally prohibited him from contacting any town hall services in the future, depriving him of a privilege enjoyed by all residents of Nice, which is necessary for carrying out his duties as an elected official.
How did it come to this?
On April 13, 2012, Marouane Bouloudhnine remarked in the Metropolitan Council deploring the recurring lack of consultation and information given to elected officials in the files managed by the Metropolis.
He considers this usual way of proceeding highly regrettable and detrimental to the interests of the residents. Indeed, it prevents elected officials from voting knowledgeably or proposing more reasonable alternatives to the often costly solutions considered.
Failing to receive a satisfactory response on these points, Dr. Marouane Bouloudhnine chose, for the first time, to abstain from voting on a resolution by the Metropolis President, Christian Estrosi. The reason: the overly expensive Tramway.
He then voted against one of the proposed decisions, which consisted of repainting the departmental kilometer posts in blue at a cost of 500,000 euros. This refusal to vote in favor of this proposal seems to have sparked further issues. “Frankly, I think we could spend this half-million-euro sum in a more beneficial way for our citizens. Launching the color blue for kilometer posts in France does not seem to me to warrant such a fortune, which would be far more useful to businesses and people who are struggling,” he adds.
The next day, Marouane Bouloudhnine learned from the local newspaper that he “is no longer part of the municipal majority” (he was elected on the “Nice Together” list led by Christian Estrosi in 2008).
“They want me to pay for daring to defy a system that operates primarily for its own benefit, with little regard for public welfare or public money,” explains Dr. Bouloudhnine, who remains elected and a Municipal Councillor of Nice, with or without delegations.
“If this continues, there will be at least a 20% increase in our local taxes for 2014, which is still hidden from us, but it will be the surprise of surprises!” he continues.
“The autocratic drift we are currently witnessing in Nice profoundly shocks me. It goes against all democratic rules and disadvantages our taxpayers. I can no longer let it happen,” the official continues. Dr. Bouloudhnine has therefore entrusted Master Dominique Salvia, a lawyer at the Nice bar, with the task of filing an Excess of Power Appeal (REP) with the Administrative Court against Mayor Christian Estrosi.
This is not the first time the management of the city by its current mayor has been called into question: Already, last March, the investigative book by journalist Philippe Carlin titled “Investigation in Estrosi City: Autopsy of a Deception” highlighted over 320 pages the very “particular” management of the city, its aberrations, and its many dark points. It painted an unflattering picture of a microcosm full of shadows, ultimately at odds with the values of sport advocated by the current Mayor, a field he originated from (C. Estrosi is indeed a former motorcycle champion).
The future will tell us what justice thinks of it. The voters, for their part, will express themselves in the 2014 municipal elections.
