The vote on the budget, scheduled for April, revives criticism from the opposition group Bordeaux Ensemble, which proposes “a plan to reduce the lifestyle of the community”, “without increasing taxes or degrading the offer of services to the public “.
Le Figaro Bordeaux
Will the town hall of Bordeaux increase taxes in 2023? This is feared by the right-wing and center municipal opposition group, Bordeaux Ensemble, which presented its own budgetary alternatives to the press on Monday, January 30, regretting that the vote for the city’s budget is “continually postponed since the fall“. For these elected officials, this report reflects “team incapacity by Pierre Hurmic to make its political and financial decisions“.
“While the inflationary crisis affects all communities, we have offered for several months, in responsibility, to participate in the construction of crisis budgetary orientations alongside the municipality“, explains Nicolas Florian, ex-mayor of Bordeaux (Les Républicains) and president of Bordeaux Ensemble. “This constructive approach did not meet with the expected response and we regret that. The municipality of Pierre Hurmic is now preparing to raise taxes to cope with the explosion of its operating costs, while many Bordeaux residents have already experienced an increase in the prices of most municipal public services.»
Read alsoBordeaux: the green mayor wants to make the ring road the largest urban solar power plant in France
Ahead of the examination of the budget guidelines report, which should take place during the next city council, Bordeaux Ensemble therefore proposes “realistic budget guidelines“, which would allow, “through management savings, to maintain the scope of public services and strengthen priority public policies without increasing taxes“.
Five million savings in 2023
Regretting a “explosion of debt» which would translate «lack of anticipation by the majorityBordeaux Ensemble is proposing savings of up to five million euros in 2023: two million on general expenses (services, equipment supplies, receptions and miscellaneous expenses) and three million euros “by containing the increase in personnel costs“. The elected officials also propose, for an estimated saving of 50,000 euros per year, to abolish the equestrian brigade, which recently returned to its historic stables in Bruges, exemplifying Pierre Hurmic’s desire to put “more blue in the street“.
These management savingsup to at least five million euros» allow Bordeaux Ensemble to offer «funded proposals to the municipal executive» in terms of safety, public tranquility and cleanliness. Right-wing and center elected officials propose to allocate one million euros “to fund the launch of a anti-burglary plan “and to set up”a Marshall plan for cleanliness“, by increasing by one million euros the allocation of compensation paid (currently 53 million), street cleaning being a metropolitan competence.
Read alsoPierre Hurmic: “At the beginning of 2023, we will launch an ambitious new cleanliness plan in Bordeaux”
Refusing for the moment to comment on a possible increase in taxes, the ecological municipality explains the postponement of the budget vote by arguing that “the context of an inflationary shock (particularly energy) and the expectation at the end of the year finance law justified this budget calendar“, recalling that local authorities have until April 15 to vote their annual budget. Bordeaux’s budget guidelines report for 2023 should be examined during the city council on March 7. The budget, meanwhile, will not be put to the vote until April 4, more than two months from now.