For Agde's 1st deputy Sébastien Frey, “commenting on the affair would only add confusion”

Sébastien Frey souligne la pleine mobilisation des élus et des services. MIDI LIBRE – MICHEL DESNOS

The 1st deputy of the city of Agde, also a departmental councilor, acts as interim officer during the pre-trial detention of Mayor Gilles D’Ettore. And if he does not wish to speak on the legal aspect of the matter, he assures the population of the total commitment of the elected officials of the municipality.

What was your reaction following the indictment of Gilles D’Ettore and his placement in pre-trial detention last Thursday March 21  ?

Like all Agathois, I was surprised by the singularity of this situation, which does not take away from the sincere affection I have for him. Then there is public life, where he had a perfectly coherent attitude and his private life, which I respect. As for the legal procedure which is underway, the municipality will not comment on it in any way. Quite simply because we are entirely focused on the action undertaken in the service of the Agathois.

Precisely, questions and concerns were expressed by Agathois about the continuation of municipal action in the absence of the mayor. What do you tell them ?

That there is absolutely no question of rushing through current affairs! All projects that have been launched will be continued and delivered on schedule. Just as those which were planned and announced will be implemented and carried out according to the timetables set by the municipal council and the mayor of Agde. It is important to say: there will be no interruption or any form of slowdown in municipal action. The municipal administration is functioning completely normally and all elected officials are at work, within the framework of their respective delegations. The dynamic desired by the mayor will be confirmed, supported and brought to fruition by all the projects that will see the light of day.

What words did you have for the different members of the municipal team?

I asked elected officials to be both calm and fully mobilized. We are responsible and nothing will prevent municipal action from continuing as planned.
The management of the city is not criticized, our project was even validated by the Agathois (during the last municipal elections of 2020, Editor's note) and everything will be implemented as agreed. Recently, the Prefect even took the city of Agde as an example as part of the city center renovation project, in front of representatives of numerous territories.

A rumor also circulated that the town of Agde could be placed under supervision…

This is absolutely false. The financial health of the city is good and moreover, during the next municipal council on April 4, the first of the deliberations will concern the vote on tax rates, which will remain unchanged for the sixteenth consecutive year . As for the investment program, it will remain as planned: balanced and ambitious. In any case, within the budgetary means of the municipality. This line will not vary.

Politically, the opposition has been firing on all cylinders for several days. What does this inspire you??

They decided to comment, we decided to work. Everyone is in their own register, the oppositions do as they want. We do not comment on the procedure and the municipal council is not a court, be careful! We will see who is worthy and who is not.

Given the situation, is this municipal council exceptional – the last one took place on March 14, only a fortnight ago – or was it programmed ?

It was already scheduled.

A word on the Hérault Méditerranée agglomeration community and its governance in the absence of its president since 2003, Gilles D’Ettore.

We brought together all the mayors of the Hérault Méditerranée agglomeration community and there too, the administration and the executive are in line to implement the validated project. As a representative of the city of Agde, which occupies a central place in the Agglo, I will work for some time with the 1st vice-president of the Hérault Méditerranée agglomeration community, Armand Rivière (the mayor of Pézenas, Editor’s note), who is in charge of certain signatures. He does so in a constructive spirit, with all the mayors and the representative of the city of Agde which, I repeat, occupies a special place in the agglomeration. If this is the meaning of your question, governance was peaceful, it still is. Things are going very calmly.

It’s complicated to plan for the weeks to come ?

On the political part, everything is clear. We know exactly what we have to do. If you ask us about the legal aspect, we are not going to comment on the case, guessing, it would only add confusion. Whether within the municipal council or the agglomeration council, we are in charge of implementing public interest projects, with the means that were planned and which we still have at our disposal, of course. Everyone agreed.

Finally, have you been able to speak with Gilles D’Ettore since he was incarcerated ?

No, not directly.

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