The mayor of Nice, Éric Ciotti, was present this Thursday at the home of a retired couple from Nice to observe the results of one of his flagship measures: the reduction of property tax. Applied from 2026, this measure results in a loss of 52 million euros for the city of Nice. A strong political choice, praised by some Nice residents, but questioned by his political opponents.
Invited today to have coffee at Josiane Beauvis’s home, a longtime friend, Éric Ciotti is savoring the implementation of one of his main campaign promises: reductions in property tax and garbage collection tax (TEOM).
After six months leading the Azure Coast capital, the mayor spoke about this campaign promise kept and quickly implemented: « we had committed to modifying these rates as quickly as possible. The tax notice is before our eyes, and the figures reflect our commitment to this. Some people, including a few of my advisors, wanted this promise to be kept in 2027 and not from 2026, so the city would gain a few million euros, but I said no. »
Concretely, property tax has been reduced from 35.30% to 30.62%. The TEOM has been reduced from 10.46% to 9.46%. This general reduction also affects the housing tax on secondary residences and property tax on non-built properties.
In total, these reductions represent 52 million euros in lost revenue for the city of Nice in 2026. A significant sum that the municipality will have to recover elsewhere, in a globally tense context for public authorities.
On the residents’ side
For Josiane Beauvis, 76 years old, living in Nice since 1991 with her husband Joël, this reduction means a lot for her purchasing power : « in total we saved 139 euros, with our small pensions it’s significant, it helps us a lot. Maybe it will be used to buy a new jacket for Joël! »
Former full-time volunteer at the regional council alongside Éric Ciotti, she assures that this reform is making people happy everywhere around her: « I’m certainly not the only one pleased, I think there are many people around us who are very happy. My daughter for example, who owns property in Nice, is delighted. We are thrilled, the promise has been kept. »
« With Joël we have just over 2,700 euros in pensions for two, so when you’ve paid the bills, electricity and everything else, there’s not much left », confides the septuagenarian.
A position contested by his opponents
While this reform seems to appeal to Nice residents who benefit from these reductions, Éric Ciotti’s political opponents are more skeptical. On April 24 last, during the vote on this resolution at the municipal council, Julien Picot, president of the finance commission and elected member of the United for Nice group, denounced a budgetary direction that could, in the long term, weaken public authorities: « less revenue means fewer services: less for schools, less for nurseries, less for culture, less for sports. »
On the side of the outgoing mayor, Christian Estrosi, doubts were numerous during the municipal campaign. The former mayor believed at the time that this reform was « unrealistic in the long term », and committed himself to reducing property tax less radically.
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