Avignon has a margin hole in the budget belt
It holds but until when. Covid, Ukrainian crisis, galloping inflation, so many events that are undermining the finances of local authorities. ” We take the blows one after the other but our good management and the consolidation of the finances of the previous mandate still allow us to overcome the crises “explains Claude Nahoum, first deputy mayor. No austerity, nor drastic cuts therefore in sight in the 2023 budget which will be voted on Saturday * by the municipal council.
Three weeks after debating the budgetary orientations, the elected officials meet for the final session of the year and 31 reports. The budget of 256 million euros will start the debates. ” It’s difficult, we are in a period of uncertainty », Measures Joël Peyre, elected finance delegate. In administrative language, this gives: The years 2020 to 2022 resulted in significant tension on the operating section (9.9 million euros for Covid-19 and 6.3 million with regard to inflation), impacting gross savings, essential leeway allowing local authorities to invest “, can we read in the report.
48 million euros planned for investment
Confront” to difficulties, the general tendency is to reduce investments or increase taxes », observes Joël Peyre, « we will do neither “. However, the City has several pitfalls (poverty rate twice the national average, share of taxable households at 46% of the population) and conducts a strong policy of local public services (9 district town halls, network of facilities sporting and cultural activities, direct management of school catering) which impacts its budget. For example, the municipality plans to pay a balancing subsidy of 2.45 million euros to the catering budget compared to 1.3 million euros in 2022 to absorb the increase in the cost of food and the new reduction in tariffs. desired by the majority.
To achieve this, the municipality can count on an increase in revenue of nearly 8% (+13 million euros) and a desire not to see staff costs increase. Like a mantra since 2014, “ we don’t raise taxes », insists Claude Nahoum. Notable fact, subsidies to associations are increasing (not in amount specific to each structure but in number of associations supported), from 8.5 to 9.2 million euros.
In line with its multi-year investment plan [270 millions sur la durée du mandat], the City has a budget of 48 million euros, compared to 45 in 2022 even if 35 million have actually been spent. Among the achievements to come or which are coming to an end: the Jean-Clément swimming pool, revegetation of three new schoolyardsor the end of the requalification of the Carnot-Carreterie axis.
* From 9 a.m. in the village hall of the town hall and on avignon.fr