They have little taste for the recent declarations of the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron, ready to ask local authorities to make an effort in the face of the widening deficit.
While waiting for a possible redistribution of the cards for the coming years, the elected representatives of the Val-d'Oise departmental council, meeting this Friday in plenary session, voted on the initial budget for the 2024 financial year. An important ritual, constructed this year in “a particularly threatening economic context for local authorities”, in the words of the president (LR), Marie-Christine Cavecchi.
With a total amount of 1.67 billion euros, this budget is therefore part of a situation of economic slowdown, with in particular a reduction of 27% (i.e. 72 million euros) in Transfer Rights for Onerous Title ( DMTO) collected on the sale of real estate (on notary fees).
For the first time in several years, this is marked by a drop of 3.2% compared to last year.
Road maintenance, main investment budget
This reduction particularly affects the part linked to operations, which drops by 56 million euros.
A component which notably includes a significant part (61%) for social action, with an envelope of 742 million euros (twelve million additional euros compared to last year).
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On the other hand, the investment budget recorded an increase of 8% compared to the initial 2023 budget, to reach 249 million euros.
A system which is part of the Multi-Annual Investment Plan 2022-2028 (1.7 billion euros) and gives pride of place to colleges, with 81.7 million euros.
These will be used in particular for the future Osny and Persan colleges, which will open at the next school year in September.
A significant part is also devoted to mobility and the 1,108 km of the road network (53.8 million euros), to the Val-d'Oise territory fund in favor of towns and urban communities (33 million euros) , to the Departmental Fire and Rescue Service (9 million), or to sustainable development and agriculture (8.6 million).
“We are the community of proximity, action, solidarity and sport,” insists Marie-Christine Cavecchi.
“The budget that you are presenting to us makes us stand still, when we should be moving forward,” regretted Nicolas Bougeard, co-president (PS) of the opposition group.