The City of Montpellier votes its budget in a “tense general context”

Julie Frêche et Michaël Delafosse assurent que leurs engagements sont tenus.

The original budget of the city of Montpellier balances at 771 M€ for 2024 including 324 M€ devoted to investment. It was voted on by a very comfortable majority. The oppositions voted against and abstained.

The municipal majority of Michaël Delafosse adopted, this Tuesday morning, the City's initial budget. This stands at 771 M€ up 50 M€ compared to 2023. Excluding pure management operations (debt management, provisions, advances…) it reserves 530 M€ to the conduct of public policies of the municipality and provides 324 M€ investment over the year.
According to Michel Aslanian, its rapporteur, this budget falls within "an extremely tense context" marked by the level of inflation, the increase in energy costs (to 7.50 million euros) and the rise in interest rates. The 2024 financial year does not, however, provide for an upward revision of tax rates, "as since 2020".&nbsp ;

Debt Questions

Personnel, 215 M€, as well as current charges and subsidies (110 M€) constitute the main operating expenses while borrowing remains an important lever of&nbsp ;investment revenue (163 M€). Michel Aslanian indicates that the outstanding debt remains "under control" but his analysis is far from being shared by the opposition and in particular Abdi El Kandoussi. "You will not escape being placed under state supervision. You borrow a lot. It’s bankruptcy that awaits us" he assures, joined by Jacques Domergue. "What dominates this is the level of debt. There is still time to pull ourselves together. Your budget lacks prudence and anticipation" estimates the former MP. "This is a worrying financial trajectory. Operating expenses continue to increase" , for his part, Salim Jawhari. In the left-wing opposition, Alenka Doulain points out "a budgetary mirage" in which the increases in’ rsquo;investment presented are "absorbed by inflation and population growth. The evolution corresponds to a decline" deplores the elected official of the Mupes. 

Schools, facilities, sports, security…

Of the 530 M€ allocated to municipal policies (investment and operation), the budget devoted to schools, nurseries and food policy represents 173 M€ and constitutes the « post » Most important. Territorial planning comes next with 121 M€ (including 107 M&euro in investment for Solidarity and proximity (44 M€ including 15 M€ for CCAS), Culture and Sports (41 M&euro in total including 20 for culture and 18 for Sports), “greening” of the city and decarbonization, 36 M€ and finally Security with 30 M€ (including 20 M€ for staff) .

"Keynesian choice" 

Conversely, in the majority, Manu Reynaud (EELV) welcomes "the choices of a green budget. There can be no renunciation for ecology". His colleague Hervé Martin (PC) believes that the budgetary architecture < em>"reinforces the social shield" wanted by the team in place. "Despite the context, we are keeping our commitment not to increase taxes. We are strongly committed to the energy transition" relays Julie Frêche.

Through the files

Citizenship, mechanisms reviewed

The municipal council adopted this Tuesday, an overhaul of the system of participatory democracy put in place through neighborhood councils and citizen councils. In place of these bodies, neighborhood assemblies will be created, open to residents, social and economic actors as well as members of foreigners and youth councils. At the same time, a Montpellier citizens' assembly is being set up, whose members will come from different participatory bodies and will work on the city of tomorrow. Finally, the City strengthens the "right of citizen questioning" which allows a group of residents to ask the municipal council a particular question. The threshold provided by law indicates that a group representing 10% of the city's voters can petition the municipal council. It is reduced to 5% of voters. The City also wishes to open its participatory budget to young people and neighborhood associations. Overall this initiative "is going in the right direction "  estimated Alenka Doulain (Mupes) who would however have liked that’ real power "decision-maker" be given to these assemblies. 

L’former Ehpad des Violettes bought 

The former Violettes nursing home, located near Avenue de Lodève, currently houses Ukrainian refugees but had been put up for sale by its owner, Aésio Santé Méditerranée. The City has decided to acquire this classified complex with a cadastral surface area of ​​8,100 m² for a sum, in accordance with the opinion of the Estates, of 3.20 M€. This acquisition is accompanied by an 18-month deferral of use. The City’s objective is to create a reception center for single-parent families with an offer of temporary housing and common information spaces on access to rights, parenting assistance… According to CAF data, Montpellier has 17,000 single-parent households. 

An art center for 0-6 year olds

As part of its policy "the city for children", the City launched the operation aimed at creating an Art center for 0-6 year olds. An agreement was signed with the Center Pompidou, a pioneer in cultural mediation for toddlers as part of this project. The center will be created in the former premises of the Fellini media library, in Les Échelles la ville, i.e. approximately 1,000 m² available. The cost of the work is estimated at 3.40 M€ and the opening planned for December 2025.
 

At his side Michaël Delafosse defends his investment policy focused on schools, the urban renovation of La Mosson and the Cévennes or even through the 25 M&euro competition fund; paid to the Métropole for tram line 5. "This is a Keynesian investment choice. If we reduce voluntarism we will have the construction sector in difficulty" he indicates.
The 2024 budget, the penultimate of the mandate, was adopted with six votes against (Mupes, Albernhe, Yague) and ten abstentions (Saurel, Domergue, El Kandoussi).

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