Imperative for some, optional for others. On Monday, April 14, Christian Estrosi had the 2008 budget for the city of Nice voted on without having previously held a budget orientation debate. “There was a debate for six months in full transparency,” said the Mayor of Nice, relying on his election and the municipal campaign to justify this vote without debate. According to Patrick Allemand, this is illegal. The court will decide. Christian Estrosi already lists mitigating circumstances: he only had fifteen days to prepare his budget. The previous Mayor, Jacques Peyrat, had wanted to leave the “delicacy” of selecting it to his successor. For Christian Estrosi, this is “undignified,” just like the vacations and early retirement of the former Director General of Services, Lucien Pampaloni. He also contests having to wait until April 18 to sit on the CANCA, which made allocating the budget even more difficult.
The opposition criticizes the budget cuts compared to the previous municipality in the areas of green spaces, school sports, and public lighting. Christian Estrosi corrects: “The 2007 public lighting budget included lighting for Tramway Line 1. It is normal that it decreases in 2008.” He continues: “Right from the start, you enter into criticism rather than supporting the choice of the people of Nice.” He then warns Yann Librati, president of the finance committee: “Do not spoil your responsibility by being a polemicist.” The budget debate ends with a promise from Christian Estrosi to ward off attacks on a less ambitious budget than expected: “The first real budget will be in 2009.”
The city council continues: discussions include culture, urban furniture. The tone is different from the Peyrat era. The microphones are no longer cut off. Sophie Duez speaks up to contest the free admission to museums, preferring to talk about free access to culture. Christian Estrosi agrees, and an amendment changes “free admission” to “free entry.” Just a lexical anecdote. Patrick Allemand is surprised that Michèle Matringe’s request to sit on a cultural committee was not accepted. Christian Estrosi integrates her after one of the members gave up their spot. Brigitte Tanauji Dahan, municipal councilor of the Republican Entente, plays the forgotten. No member of the Republican Entente will join this commission. Times have changed. Those close to Peyrat seem to be the last wheel of the city council wagon.
