Eric Ciotti, President of the General Council, presented the report on the preliminary budget for 2014. A budget approached by the President with a “positive spirit” and which is the result of a “true proactive strategy.”
To balance the 2014 Preliminary Budget, the departmental UMP majority decided to increase the most significant fiscal resource of the community: the DMTO (transfers for consideration). The rate of these fees has indeed been uncapped from 3.8% to 4.5% for a gain of around 40 million euros.
The preliminary budget project for 2014 is part of the budgetary guidelines that were debated last November and December. It balances in real expenditure and revenue at 1.320 billion euros compared to 1.303 billion in the 2013 balance sheet.
This text is developed around four major axes: No increases in local taxes in 2014 (for the 5th consecutive year), reducing operating expenses, limiting resorting to borrowing to stabilize debt, and maintaining a high level of investment.
The revenues will amount to 1.320 billion euros, of which 1.204 billion in operations and 116 million in investments. In 2014, the State is inaugurating a cycle of reduction in financial assistance to local communities, which is intended to help reduce its budget deficit.
The number one expenditure of the department is social action at an amount of 515.40 million euros. This is distributed in policies in favor of the elderly, disabled people, children and families, health, the RSA scheme, or in favor of the housing solidarity fund.
A mission for infrastructure development has been engaged. The overall budget for implementing this policy will amount to 61.458 million euros in 2014, compared to 55.615 million euros in 2013. It will allow continuing operations of the plan to eliminate problem areas, improve networks, preserve and maintain the road heritage, with the aim of offering road users the best possible travel, comfort, and safety conditions.
The planning and development mission of the territory amounts to €257 million and focuses -among others- on housing policy, economy, tourism and territorial attractiveness, transport and travel, and territorial solidarity. Eric Ciotti invited to maintain the identical property tax rate on built properties at 12.42%.
Culture also has its place with 18.5 million euros dedicated to it. In 2013, 407 representations of the Summer Evenings were offered in 157 municipalities. The 19th edition of the Summer Evenings will pursue its goals of discovering new talents and supporting the artistic and local fabric. Since 2005, “C’est pas classique” has offered the general public three days of free music concerts of always renewed quality. For this 10th edition, an exceptional program will be proposed.
The majority supported the project with some interventions from its elected representatives. However, the opponents rejected the budget.
Jacques Victor, on behalf of the Communist group, opposed Eric Ciotti’s considerations, recalling that “the current government’s attitude is no more or less than an acceleration of the choices implemented by former Prime Minister François Fillon, with disastrous consequences on employment.”
He proposed an alternative, which is to impose a Solidarity Pact towards employees, retirees, families, women, youth, the most deprived, and the most vulnerable.
Marie-Louise Gourdon, representing the reformist and republican left group, also spoke. “If you blame the State for all the ills and especially for disengaging under the previous majority, being the prime responsible for this situation, we have never heard you denounce the shortcomings or rail against the government that you supported.”
In conclusion, she added “that between the necessity to save money and the need to boost the local economy, the budgetary equation is not so simple to solve. Despite everything and even if you have started to reduce the reliance on borrowing, what still heavily penalizes our budget is the debt balance. It still amounts to 853 million, even though 171 million euros of debt have been transferred to the Metropolis. But this burden still weighs on our budget.
You have chosen to place the burden on the most fragile, on our fellow citizens most in difficulty, which is why the choices made lead us to vote unfavorably on this budget.”
The text was adopted by majority.
