Margaux Fodéré (in Montataire in the Oise), edited by Juliette Moreau Alvarez
06:44, September 24, 2022
Faced with an electricity bill that could be multiplied by four in 2023, the town hall of Montataire has decided to refuse to pay, so as not to have to increase the taxes of its citizens or to affect the public services of its population. A risky decision that the mayor assumes.
Europe is facing an unprecedented energy crisis. In France, the electricity bill explodes for all individuals, but also for town halls. So much so that some fear not being able to finance public services. Europe 1 met the mayor of Montataire, a municipality in Oise which will not pay its electricity bill next year, as long as the municipalities will have to go through the public market to buy their electricity.
An increase of 2 million euros on the bill
In this town of 14,000 inhabitants, a former land of industry, the electricity bill could be multiplied by four next year. A delirious situation affirms the communist mayor of the city, Jean-Pierre Bosino. “Our bill for 2022 is at 660,000 euros, the risk is that our bill will increase to 2.5 million euros”, he explains. Nearly 2 million euros more for an annual budget of the municipality of 32 million euros.
“No margin, no fat, we are already the bone”, explains the mayor who refuses to make his constituents pay the bill. “We made a commitment that we would not touch taxes. The second solution is to save money. Pass me the expression, we are going to hit all the public services useful to the population, catering school, the leisure center, sports, it’s not acceptable either.”
“I will not pay”, repeats Jean-Pierre Bosino, regardless of the consequences. “I invite those who want to cut us to come and cut us, we will wait for them”, he warns. In a few days, the municipality will have to sign the contract for 2023. It has no choice. But it will not pay beyond 750,000 euros. It will then expose itself to a risk of cutting within two to three months.
Source: Europe1
I have been working as a journalist for over 10 years. In that time, I have covered the news from all corners of the world, and written about everything from politics to business.I’m now a full-time author, and my work can be found at Global happenings. My aim is to bring you up-to-date news and views on global affairs, in a format that is easy to read and understand.
