Christophe Jerretie is president of the local finance steering committee of La Banque Postale, whose work on the matter is a reference. Former mayor of Naves (Corrèze), former deputy of Corrèze (La République en marche, then MoDem) from 2017 to 2022, calls on the departments to return to their historical missions as its 93rd congress takes place from November 13 to 15.
There is great concern about the celebration of 93my department congress. They fear that the savings measures requested by the government will bring them to their knees. What do you think?
Departments are concerned that transfer fees for payment [DMTO, une taxe perçue lors du paiement des « frais de notaire », acquittés par les particuliers lors de l’achat d’un bien immobilier] They have been falling for two years. In reality, the exponential increase in DMTO between 2013 and 2022 was a breath of fresh air for departments. Today is a return to normality.
However, departments fear that they will no longer be able to adequately deliver the public services for which they are responsible…
The problem with public services lies elsewhere: in the dispersion of skills between communities. It is written in all the reports, there are too many speakers. Let’s take the example of employment policy: the State, the regions, the departments, the inter-municipalities are involved, without forgetting that companies hire through LinkedIn and temporary employment agencies. This is not acceptable.
Elected officials don’t want to hear it and continue to control everything. It is true that the departments will have difficulties, but they must return to their historical missions, that is, medical-social in a broad sense. Each one has their role. Intervening in employment, sports or culture is not financially or politically viable. Because the dispersion is total and the result is not better.
What are the foreseeable effects of the 5 billion euro effort requested from local authorities?
They must participate. What I have a problem with is that only some of them are asked to save money. [seules les 450 plus grosses collectivités du pays devront mettre d’autorité en réserve 2 % de leurs dépenses, soit 3 milliards d’euros. D’autres mesures doivent rapporter 2 milliards de plus à l’Etat]. The communities would have been able to absorb the effort if everyone had been called to participate.
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