Debates around the investment level of Beaucaire's 2024 budget

Le maire Julien Sanchez a réagi à la suite de l’intervention de Luc Perrin (au dernier rang). Midi Libre – C.M.

Investissements soutenus, taxes foncières gelées, diminution de la dette : la municipalité se félicite de sa gestion tandis que l’opposition choisit la dérision pour critiquer le budget.

The municipal council of April 12 was almost exclusively devoted to management and administrative accounts and the 2024 budgets (main, water and sanitation) In opening the session, the mayor had a thought for Max Ouvrard , deputy of Tarascon, died on April 11.

Julien Sanchez presented the initial budget (26 908 712 € in operation and 25 785 607 € in investment) and the first assistant Marie-France Perignon, administrative accounts. Evoking in particular "the seriousness of the municipality which has made it possible to improve net savings (-136 %) in ten years despite the economic situation and the declines in State grants which represent over 10 years – 3.70 M€ for Beaucaire. Achieving the budget in such circumstances is indeed a tour de force made only possible thanks to the prudence of the municipal team and the courageous decisions of the municipal team. taken since 2014. If we don't say it ourselves, no one will say…" slips the mayor.

30 M€ investment cost

Also emphasizing "a very significant level of investment " since Beaucaire forecasts for 2024 more than 30 M€ investment on its budgets, including nearly 27 million euros; on the main budget (23 million euros of new budgetary entries with 3,643 million 727 euros remaining to be made). The municipality also mentions "dcontrolled operating expenses" and announces that there will be no increase in the rate of built and unbuilt land, nor the housing tax on second homes.

Julien Sanchez recalled the achievements and investments completed in 2023 (the nautical base, the Garrigue Planes school…) and listed the main investments for 2024. 

Works and investments in 2024

One of the most visible projects of 2024 will be the repair of the first section of the Nîmes road between the roundabout of the ring road and that of the shopping center which will lead to the total closure of this portion of the road from the end of April to the end of June. Diversions will be put in place and the bus stop moved. The roadway will be resurfaced (with a tree-lined separation between the two lanes), a cycle path and pedestrian spaces will be created using the right-of-way of the ditches which will be lined.

Main investments for 2024: the multimodal exchange hub, the South canal district, a kennel for the canine brigade, 2 new municipal police officers in 2024 (28) to achieve the objective of 30 in 2026  ; municipal roads (800,000 euros planned this year); studies for the renovation of the Saint-Gilles road in its urban part; the digital plan in schools (tranche 1 for elementary school), a synthetic football field, the revision of the safeguarding plan for the remarkable heritage site, facade subsidies or even the Croix Couverte whose work (awaiting completion) ;rsquo;validation by the Drac) could only begin at the beginning of 2025.

During the last council (budgetary orientations), the oppositions denounced a "exercise in self-satisfaction".

The opposition chooses derision
for his criticism of the budget 

This time, Luc Perrin (United for Beaucaire) took the side of derision: "When I see the presentation notes of the administrative accounts and of the budget, I say to myself: but how lucky we are to have such an exceptional mayor! "

His speech is interrupted by some applause and remarks from the majority: " Ah finally, he opens his eyes… Glad to hear you say…"

Luc Perrin continues, imperturbable. He recognizes "accounting elements which in terms of figures are good, but which do not indicate the quality of the service provided. Year after year, Julien Sanchez announces incredible levels of investment during the & ;nbsp;primitive budgets and even if he barely achieves half of them on average since 2014, he does not fail, each year, to congratulate himself! Well done Mr. Mayor, you are the best. The rural roads are in a catastrophic state: 2 million euros had been planned for 2023 and 31 ;December 2023 only 600 000 € had been invested. As for the debt, it has never been so high: was 12 million euros; in 2014 and it of 17 M€ in 2023. What you want is to be able to make people believe that the RN is capable of managing a community. In any case Julien Sanchez always has the truth…"

Julien Sanchez denounces "incantations and trials of intent"

Julien Sanchez's reply was not long in coming: " You didn't sprain yourself, there's nothing wrong. Only hollowness, incantations and trials of intention. Worse than usual. We see that you don't understand anything: you seem to ignore the 5 M€ invested for the Garrigue Planes school and the 7 M€ of the nautical base, the work undertaken on the station and the multimodal center which we will inaugurate in May. As for the roads, 840 000 € will be invested this year in phase 1 of the repair of the Nîmes road. Work which should have started in 2023 but which we preferred to postpone in order to have more subsidies. As for the debt, we told you that we had to take out two three-year bridging loans in 2023 while waiting for the payment of subsidies for the major projects carried out in 2023. These subsidies are arriving and one of the loans is going to expire. ;elsewhere may be on sale in the coming months…"

The administrative accounts were voted on with one abstention (Charles Menard, Beaucaire in common). The budget with one vote against (Beaucaire in common) and four abstentions (United for Beaucaire).