Vence took stock. Thursday evening, in city council, the City presented the report on budgetary orientations. The opportunity to take stock of major projects and announce the outlook for the rest of the term.
The mayor, Régis Lebigre, announced: “The municipality plans to invest 26.4 million euros between 2023 and 2026. The share of subsidies is estimated at 43%.”
Museum accessibility
The Vence museum will be made accessible to people with reduced mobility. All the levels of this old building will be accessible to everyone, thanks to the installation of an elevator. Improved pathways are also planned. Overall cost: 400,000 euros.
Leisure home
As part of the development of the Chagall district, the municipality plans to build a leisure center. Total cost of the project: 1.5 million euros. 80% of this amount is funded by grants. 50,000 euros will be put on the table for 2023.
The Gourmet Halls
In 2023, 100,000 euros will be indexed to the Halles Gourmandes project. In 2021, the town hall had acquired the old Town Hall before launching the preliminary studies.
“2023 will be the launch of the project management competition as well as the choice of the successful candidate”, announced the mayor. Work will begin in 2024 and Les Halles should open in the summer of 2025. As a reminder, the overall cost of the project is 2.7 million.
Municipal swimming pool coverage
The mayor returned to a thorny subject: the project to cover the municipal swimming pool. “The will of the municipality is to bring this essential project to fruition, in particular for the learning of swimming for the pupils of Vence”, recalled the aedile.
“But the crisis we are going through requires us to be cautious. Funding has become more uncertain. However, we remain mobilized to move this project forward.” 2023 will mark the launch of preliminary studies. The cost: 100,000 euros.
Julian’s Pra
“In 2023, the City will finalize the program authorization for Pra de Julian, by proceeding with the demolition of the properties”recalled Régis Lebigre. “The security operation linked to the risk of landslides on the site of the Baous cliffs must also be initiated.”
These security works should be able to start in 2024. How to proceed “is still being defined.”
The estimated amount of this global project is 6 million euros. The City intends to obtain a maximum of subsidies from the various communities. 100,000 euros are provided for in budget 2.023.
The energy transition
“The climate emergency is a priority”, said Régis Lebigre. A large budget will be allocated to the energy transition and more specifically, to renovation work. 2.7 million euros spread over the remaining three years of the mandate, including 50,000 euros in 2023. 14 buildings are planned in this energy renovation plan.
The villa Le Rêve and the De-Gaulle stadium
Concerning the villa Le Rêve, the City indicated during the municipal council, to be “awaiting positive feedback from patrons, put on hold.”
The De-Gaulle stadium will see its locker rooms brought up to standard this year. The planned envelope is 150,000 euros for 2023. In 2024, the synthetic lawn will be changed.
“Les Nuits du Sud are considered the Mistigri of our card game”
At the end of the budget guidelines report, Patrick Scalzo, leader of the opposition, took the floor. “If I sum up, you are telling us that the situation is going to be tense, especially in 2023. And that suddenly, we have to sacrifice the Nuits du Sud festival, considered the Mistigri of our card game, and that in 2024, everything will be better.”
The opponent announces a figure which he claims has been erased from the presentation: “7.1% of the property tax recorded for this year and resulting from the 2023 finance law. It is good for the City but unbearable for the 9,000 Vence owners concerned. This is not your fault but it is a contradiction in your general policy, which aims to increase the purchasing power of citizens. You might very well decide to reduce the municipal tax rate.”
The “useless and expensive” gourmet markets
Incidentally, he (unsurprisingly) tackled the Halles Gourmandes project, “useless” et “expensive.” The chosen one also pressed the aspect “priority and urgent” work to secure the Baous cliffs.
Another tackle, on the indoor pool this time: “We can no longer afford the Nuits du Sud at 400,000 euros, so we can even less afford the operation of a swimming pool at more than one million a year.” And to be pessimistic: “2023 will not be the most constrained budget.”
The mayor of Vence, Régis Lebigre, defended himself: “So if we follow your logic, we don’t do anything. No structuring projects. You know, we were elected on a program. Our vision of things is not to stay there, waiting. We have expectations of the population, especially for the indoor municipal swimming pool. And it’s a bit much of a coffee to ask us to lower taxes. Our promise was already not to increase them. The State has increased the rates because it there is inflation.”
And to sting: “The more you are once morest the Halles Gourmandes project, the more I tell myself that it is good.”
Patrick Scalzo, elected from the opposition.Photo Eric Ottino.
