Gathered this Friday at the Mediterranean University Center, the elected officials of the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis adopted, during the metropolitan council, the resolution setting the local tax rates for 2026. It notably provides for a reduction of one point in the household waste collection tax (TEOM).
Resolution 21.2, concerning the setting of local tax rates, was adopted during the metropolitan council presided over by Éric Ciotti. It includes a reduction of one point in the household waste collection tax rate, from 10.46% to 9.46%. This measure had already been announced the day before by the President of the Metropolis during a speech at the Port of Nice. It constitutes the third step in a series of decisions aimed at easing local taxation.
Pierre-Paul Leonelli at the forefront
During the debates, the former first deputy of Nice, Pierre-Paul Leonelli, acknowledged that the tax reduction was “an opportunity for taxpayers,” while expressing several reservations about its medium-term effects. He reminded that the household waste collection tax entirely funds the collection and processing of waste in the metropolitan area. According to him, this reduction will lead to an estimated shortfall of 12.5 million euros on a budget of approximately 150 million euros dedicated to this service.
He also pointed out that the Metropolis already has a relatively low level of taxation compared to other territories. As an example, he indicated that the TEOM rate reaches 12.25% in Cannes, 13% in Menton, or nearly 18.7% in Grasse, while some major metropolises like Montpellier or Lille also apply higher rates.
Questions about future investments
In his speech, Pierre-Paul Leonelli called for vigilance regarding the community’s ability to finance certain projects related to waste management. He notably mentioned the creation of a sorting center near the Ariane energy recovery plant, an equipment designed to enhance the territory’s autonomy in waste processing. Currently, part of the sorted waste is sent to a site located in Cannes. The elected official mentioned several equipment or infrastructure projects, such as the future logistics base of Pont-Michel, estimated at around 40 million euros, and the development of recycling centers and new waste collection centers in the metropolitan area.
The opposition also expressed reservations about some of the Metropolis’s budgetary directions, notably regarding transport investments. Juliette Chesnel-Le Roux thus denounced the reduction in some program approvals related to transport. “What we are witnessing is extremely worrying,” she said, mentioning “the 1.5 million euro reduction in the investment budget” concerning the future Line 4 tramway project. For the elected official, “this is not just a simple account line”, but “a political signal to the metropolitan citizens,” which could, according to her, weaken a project she deems “structuring for the west of the metropolis.”
Despite these reservations, the resolution setting the local tax rates and confirming the reduction of the TEOM was adopted by the metropolitan council. The elected officials then approved all associated budgetary resolutions, including the anticipated revisions of the 2025 fiscal year results and the additional budgets for 2026.
