Mayor of Angers and chairman of the Conseil général of Maine-et-Loire both criticized

The financial issues are on the forefront of the present debates both in Angers Loire Métropole and Conseil général de Maine-et-Loire's councils. Even if the missions of the two authorities are different, the origin of their financial difficulties - the balance of the 2011 budget - is common : the economic crisis which increased the expenditures and decrease the receipts.

While the Conseil général and ALM are managed by political opponents, Christophe Béchu, chairman of the first, Ump (right), and Jean-Claude Antonini, chairman of ALM, PS (left), the medecine they plan is almost the same : an increase of the local real estate tax on one side, a new tax on the other! Both have been criticized in their own assembly and even by political allies. The result is inhabitants will have to restrain their consumption as their savings to foot the bill.


On medium-term, it will be risky for the two authorities, to go on without an agonizing reapprisal of their financial strategy which relies heavily on debt. More financial autonomy will only come from difficult choices between missions which have to be implemented and missions which can be postponed or cancelled. An the help will certainly not come from state which is in much more critical situation.