Through Cédric Nithard
Published on 4 Feb 21 at 21:32
updated on 4 Feb 21 at 21:37
–
The new majority of the Montpellier Metropolis driven by Michaël Delafosse presented his first budget orientation debate. Between taking office in July and the context of the health crisis, it should have taken place in December. If he gives ” strategic budgetary leverss »of the community, the signage of major projects will come when the provisional budget is presented to the metropolitan council in March. Renaud Calvat, Deputy Vice-President for Finance, also pointing out the importance of the administrative account which will report on achievements.
Impact of the crisis
After an initial estimate of € 50 million, the impact of the health crisis is finally estimated at € 40.3 million: € 25.8 million in 2020 (€ 19.3 million in operation and € 6.4 million in investment) and € 14.5 million in 2021 (€ 2.1 million in exceptional expenses and € 12.4 million in revenue losses). “We managed to cushion the shock a bit. All the same, we are starting our mandate with a hole of 40M € that the health crisis is costing us ”underlines Renaud Calvat.
This is not the only disadvantage highlighted by the finance delegate: “A budget project which is also constrained by decisions of the previous team which strongly impact the 2021 budget and future budgets”. The new executive does not like the choice to close the Castries landfill and export waste up to 10M €. Max Levita will plead a decision of the Region within the framework of the Waste prevention and management plan.
Three levers
“This is a DOB which concerns 2021 but we will present all the levers of the financial strategy of the mandate” specifies the finance delegate. These three levers are: control of the operating section with a high gross savings rate of over 12%, freeing up capacity through rigorous debt management with a deleveraging capacity of less than 12 years and investing for the long term in within the framework of a multiannual programming of 1.5 billion euros over 6 years (while improving the execution rate of investment expenditure), excluding sanitation (0.2 billion euros).
As for taxes, if no increase was announced, the finance delegate referred to “a new balance to be found for waste and Gemapi skills (management of aquatic environments and flood prevention.” Two sources of expenditure increasing year after year) year for the community while revenues have not changed since 2018.
The investment metropolis
In order to carry out the projects, an investment of 250 million euros per year on average is planned. “Our metropolis will be the metropolis of investment” launches Renaud Calvat, “We are victims of the health crisis but we are also one of the solutions at the economic level”. As part of the recovery effort, a larger investment is planned for the year 2021. Likewise, an acceleration of investments in 2023 and 2024 due to the major operations linked to transport (construction of the new line 5 is scheduled). and the new depot, renewal of tram rolling stock and adjustment of metronomes).
In 2021, consolidated investment expenditure is estimated at this stage at 300 million euros (i.e. + 40% of multiannual investment programming compared to the period 2015-2020). Renaud Calvat emphasizing “the sacred union with the State, the Region, the Department and the 31 municipalities of the Metropolis to invest because this investment will directly develop the local economy”. It is therefore estimated that this level of investment corresponds to the creation of 3,000 jobs.
–
