Angers Loire Métropole budget : a single keyword and two key figures

If the support to the local economy is the keyword of the 2013 budget of Angers Loire Métropole passed on March 14, the key figure is its overall amount, € 330 millions vs. € 349 millions one year before, i.e. -5%. The financial means of Angers Loire Métropole in 2013 doesn't exceed those of... 2007, six years ago. It looks likely that the economic crisis required that adjustment. And it is wise the members of Alm choose that way.


The preservation of the Angers territory competi-tiveness is, for sure, the other major charac-teristic of the 2013 budget. With € 89 millions for invest-ments, Angers Loire Métropole increase the figure by 35% compared to 2012 (around € 66 millions). "That budget [has been] conceived as a fighting one", said the president of the territorial authority, Jean-Claude Antonini, who pointed out the top priorities : "The economy, the employment and the purchasing power of Angers inhabitants". 

One of the most important decision was the takeover of the former site of Technicolor. Angers Loire Métropole wants to keep it its industrial mission but, until now, no industrial project has been identified to fill that vacuum. The members of Alm look to consider that the fiscal pression has already raised its max. The recovery will not go through the Angevins pockets. 

Charity begins after home agency

The Emmaüs Angers community is opening a second store in Angers down town. Already present on Pasteur avenue, the new selling point will be set up on Carnot boulevard, one of the most important way of car traffic in the city. The community will sell there a range of items for home and clothes. The promoters of that project say that the products sold in that store will not be luxury goods and the prices will not be higher than those of the Saint-Jean-de-Linières (suburbs of Angers) where the community has its main centre. 

Credit Picture : Angers Emmaüs

The opening of the store looks to be a symbol of the turning point the city has experienced during the last ten years. After an economic boom in the real estate sector, all the professional have saw the dramatic decrease of their turnover and of the profitability of the business. And the now international charitable community founded in 1949 in France by the Abbé Pierre to combat poverty and homelessness is taking the place of a real-estate agency.

The families looking for low priced items they can buy in the usual stores of Angers come after families looking for houses, flats or building lands. Damaged individuals come after people who had resources to undertake a project. Few by few, the impoverishment looks to strike down more and more families of Angers.

The Gec ask to Angers town hall to reconsider the cost of car park for the stores employees

In a video sent recently to Angers Daily News after the post "The Angers stores owners urge town hal tothe dialog", Mr Rebours explains its opinion regarding the relationship between Angers and the city council. "We are looking for listening and respect", he says pointing out that the Angers city council has increased the parking lots fares while the Gec members can't increases their selling prices. According to Mr Rebours that soaring of prices has a deep impact on the stores employees who can't pay so important fares : one hour per working day would finance the parking of their cars.

The news dedicated by that blog about the Angers city budget has also triggered a comment from the president of the Groupement d'entente du commerce de Maine et Loire, Fabien Rebours. In his letter, Mr. Rebours notices that "the most important investments of the town are not in charge of Angers city, but of Angers Loire Métropole, of which Jean-Claude Antonini, former Angers mayor, is president". 
 
The reader recalls that "the trolley (€ 340 millions) is the most perfect example of that transfer of expenses what makes possible for the city to balance its budget". According to Mr Rebours, the low debt of Angers (€ 19,5 millions) hides the debt of Angers Loire Métropole (€ 382 millions). But, on the reverse, Angers finances a lot of facilities, like the future Aqua Vita swimming pool that will be available for people living outside of Angers.

The 2013 budget dramatically increases the support to local economy

 The Angers town council i soming back to the good old use : the city renews with the stability of the local tax rates and want to support the living forces of Angers : the economy whose ability to generate jobs is deteriorating because unemployment is increasing.

The council tax and the property tax will keep the same rates in 2012 and 2013. Regarding the operating budget, Angers city has exactly, in spite of the worsening of the economic context, the same level in self-financing : € 23, 6 millions in 2013 compared to... € 23,6 millions in 2012. The self-financing, which is the difference between receipts and expenses, illustrates the worrying of the town council not to spend more that it earns. In the operating expenses, the wages are the first expenses : € 103 millions in 2013 vs. € 99,4 millions the previous year. Their percentage in the total of expenses doesn't change. The growth of expenses is 3% in 2013.

The capital budget, dedicated to the facilities the city wants to offer to its inhabitants, increases from € 65,8 millions to € 68,6 millions. The annual variation is 4,25%. So it is rather reassuring that the increase of capital expenses is faster than the increase of operating expenses. But an important change has occured in 2013 regarding the support of economy. While, in 2012, the economic development got only € 1,1 million, the amount of money dedicated to the same goal has soared to € 7,3 millions.  (Credit Pictures : Angers city)

"Incidental" remarks after Angers city council

An incident has closed on March 25th the debate of the Angers town council. After it was denied to talk about the new trouble between the town store owners and town hall, the minority group choose to slam the door of the room. If the opposition has the absolute right to express its disagreement, the issue having led to that incident is maybe a little disproportionate with what was at stake. Others issues could validly lead the opposition members to leave the session. And the least is not some expenses coming under the chapter "solidarity and well living together".

Theses expenses, a new swimming pool called Aqua Vita (€ 30 millions) or the new "Estate of solidarity", are considered by many inhabitants as untimely giving the worrying economic datas in Angers. The last figures of unemployment notice a continuous increase of jobless. If the supplementay allocation granted to the Centre communal d'action sociale will surely help low income families to overcome difficulties, it also indicate that Angers is becoming impoverished.

It is not sure, the minority group would have done differently. But, regarding the animation of Angers down town, it has not, till now, offered new ideas to make the core of the town more living. One must believe that, a day or another, the new homes built all over Angers as well as the offices of Gare+ will find occupants. Because, what Angers need is inhabitants and jobs.

The Angers economic difficulties could invite themselves in the 2014 municipal ballot

By the end of the next twelve months, Angers inhabitants will have to elect a new town council and, in fact, a new mayor. Several persons having chances to win are already in the starting blocks, both in the majority side and the opposition side of the municipality. But all will face a difficulty. 

Frédéric Béatse, current mayor, but elected because of the dismissal of the former mayor, and Jean-Luc Rotureau, his challenger, both members of the Socialist Party, will need the support of the whole Angers left. On the opposition side, Christophe Béchu is the favourite but will need the support of the Centrist, Laurent Gérault. But all of them, face a very serious foe : the economic crisis. 

That one again has worsened the economic and social situation of the city. Between January 2012 and January 2013, the number of jobless people has increased by 13%. Today, about 24 000 persons are unemployed in Angers and nothing is in view, locally, nationaly or internationaly, to break that trend. Many circumstances could explain such a phenomena but it is clear that Angers will have to find, by itself and in itself, the means to overcome that evolution rather than waiting the economic recovery after the crisis like the sun after the rain. 

The Angers open air market, a tempting place for customers... and thieves

The open air market on Leclerc square is one of the events giving rythm to Angers city. Every Saturday morning, it annouces the weekly breathe the inhabitants love. What ever be the season, the place is always crowdy and if, by chances, there is no open air market on Saturday (it was the case a few weeks ago because of the icy cold), customers and even simple passers by are disappointed : something is lacking and their weekend is unbalanced. 

But, that attractive place and moment is not free from danger. And the least is not the theft and the public is not always watchful to the risk. Recently, an inhabitant who love to walk around the fish stalls has had its wallet stolen after he just had used his credit card. Dishonest watchers looked closely the secret code that customers used to pay his purchases, then slightly push him on the walkway before to steal him his wallet and to take money at the closest cash dispenser. On the following week, an old lady had its basket stolen with all her documents, money and shoppings...


It is not said if the open air market is monitored by police or town hall departments. But it could be useful to do so. That popular moment has to be protected.

In Angers, "Earth Hour" was not on time

Angers city was due to switch off the light of numerous public buildings on March 23 from 8.30 to 10.30 (pm) : town hall, the Fine-Arts Museum, the David d'Angers Gallery, the Grand Theatre, Saint-Aubin tower, Verdun bridge as well as fountains in Mail gardens and Pilori or Ralliement squares. But it was not the case! That initiative of the city, designed to made aware Angers inhabitants to the damaging effects of energetic over-consumption throughout the green house gas emissions. A lot of monuments in other French cities were due to be not enlighted that evening. Apparently, it was not the case for those of Angers.

The "Earth Hour" is a worldwide event organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature and held towards the end of March every year. It has been designed to encourage households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights to raise awareness about the need to take action on climate change. The event first took place in 2007 at Sydney with 2.2 millions residents. Following Sydney's lead, many other cities around the world adopted the event in 2008.

Angers city and Angers Loire Métropole are involved in energy savings with, recently, the running of Biowatts in La Roseraie district which produces heat by burning wood coming from local forests. About 14 000 homes are now connected to Biowatts and Angers publics buildings are now running with 15% of renewable energy. But on March 23rd, had Angers disconnected its watch?

The Angers stores owners movement urges town hall to the dialog

The report titled "Angers store owners at the frontside... of policy" has encouraged Fabien Rebours, recently elected at the head of the Groupement d'entente du commerce de Maine-et-Loire, to comment the analysis of Angers Daily News. Regarding the fact the Angers downtown retailers were at the center of a polemic, Mr Rebours points out his movement doesn't confuse the Angers inhabitants who attend the stores and politicians (what ever be their side) who, possibly, could exploit the questions raised by that community for political aims. "We encourage Angers town hall to set up a serene and honest atmosphere with citizens and stores owners, who are the living forces of our city, [they] love so much", he writes.

A nice cake for tea

A new pastry vill will open soon in Angers along the Pasteur boulevard. Cheri on the cake is the brand of a Brittany company located in Ille-et-Vilaine. Since 50 years a pastry chefs team cooks more than 60 recipes sold at room temperature or deep-freezed. French and world pastries are available with Cheri on the cake and among them the American cookies (it is not said if the pastry will also produce the famous English scones). 

Even if the store is in works where formerly a garage took place, the inside of the store is set up like giant chocolate stores alreadu visible at the West entrance of Angers. If Angers had always known the traditional pastries opened (sometimes on Sundays) the sector looks to gain a new youth as well as tea stores opened here and there over the city (the most recent specialized in Far-Eastern teas). Now it's up to the pastries turn. Close to the Pasteur avenue, a new store dedicated to macaroons had opened for alomost one year. 

Even born in Brittany the company which owns the brand has also an English name : "Cake Valley". Angers if the fourth city to host a store of that group like a "cherry" on a cake.

Minds are warming up in the Angers majority city council

Frédéric Béatse

The visit, on March 22 of the French prime minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, takes place when the solidity of Angers majority city council looks severely tested. After a new surge of criticism from the down town store owners community against Angers town hall, the mayor, Frédéric Béatse, was due to recall one of his deputy mayor. That one, Jean-Pierre Chauvelon, had denounced, carelessly according to Mr Béaste, an offense from a store owner which had not been committed....

Jean-Luc Rotureau

On the following day, another deputy-mayor, Jean-Luc Rotureau, himself candidate against Mr Béatse inside the Socialist majority town council, invited inhabitants for a debate on the issue "Can we still trust the political action?". It is not impossible that the PM be questionned by Mr. Béatse and Mr Rotureau about the decision of the Socialist party to organize or not primaries in the left side before the 2014 municipal ballots. But Mr Ayrault has probably others worries in mind...

Jean-Pierre Chauvelon

It becomes important for Mr Béatse to pacify the relations between his majority and the Angers store owners, a visible and influent community about Angers inhabitants and to restore a kind of discipline inside his own camp. The pursuit of such a trend would damage his assets and will strenghen Mr Rotureau and also the opposition contenders.

Angers store owners at the front side... of policy

Maybe they don't catch customers. Never-theless, they are in the middle of the front side of the political battle which starts to liven up almost one year before the municipal ballots of 2014. But, during the last year something has changed. While they were powerless regarding the constraints brought by the works of the first tramway line, then by the set up of the commercial park, Atoll, things look to have recently changed for Angers retailers.

After they got audience in the public opinion regarding the soaring of car park fares decided by town hall, they gained the withdrawal of the pavement tax project planned by the city council majority. Very recently, one of the Ralliement square store owners led after a hunger strike the Angers mayor himself to remove all the giant pots of shrubs, set up for years around the place. And yesterday, another store owner threatened a deputy mayor of a complain after a "false accusation" regarding the sale of alcohols...

The Angers mayor is working to switch off fuses of gunpowder kegs but that is weakening his position and the authority he needs as a no elected mayor, after the resignation of Jean-Claude Antonini, former Angers mayor. His opponent, Christophe Béchu seized upon the issue of the architectural failure of Ralliement square. But Angers store owners do not be deceived : customers and vote catchers are very different things...

Anger strike at Ralliement square

If, throughout the redevelopment of the Maine banks, the awakening of inhabitants to nature and ecology, the search awards for its green spaces, Angers city is trying to distinguish itself from other western cities is useful, the mineral aspect of its core is becoming a handicap the mayor will have to overcome, first of all, for political reason. The hunger strike of a store owner against the set up of giant pots of shrubs in front of its store was becoming more and more cumbersome for the majority of town council already criticized by many store owners for its policy regarding the commerce sector.

Christophe Béchu, president of the Conseil général de Maine et Loire and main contender of Frédéric Béatse, current Angers mayor, for the next municipal ballots of 2014, has (skilfully) taken advantage of that specific situation to enlarge the debate upon the mineral aspect of the Ralliement square where that store owner has settled. According to Mr. Béchu, the Ralliement square is one of the most important failure of the current municipal team he compared to a "funeral slab"...

Mr. Béatse is aware of that problem he wants to solve as soon as that year by the set up of flowers and shrubs throughout the place. It is true that cemetaries are often decorated with flowers...

"March showers brings April flowers"

One of the main characteristics Angers will "cultivate" in the years to come is its closeness of nature and ecology. After the awards the city received a few weeks ago because of the maintenance of its public parks, the town hall has planned on April 28th an event titled "Small gardens, big ideas" which will take place all day long at Molière square, formerly an ugly car park replaced now by large sandy space with here and there flowers and shrubs.

The program unveils a wish to awake the inhabitants to the interest of gardening, and not only for ecological reasons but, maybe, for economical ones on condition theses have... a garden. Different kinds of gardens will be displayed : square gardens, pot gardens, lasagne gardens and even ("in French") a "Jardin big bag". Such an initiative looks to fit perfectly with the image the town has, since a long time, developed : the economic importance of vegetable network, the number of green ways and the involvment of Angers in policies aiming at the promotion of nature in towns, like ParkAtlantic, an Irish program Angers is member.

The town council will try to get more supporters to its giant project "New banks" which should play the role of a "green frontside" for people outside the city and to link it with its urban policy of sustainable development. Angers announces other events until the end of the year pointing out the close relationship (some) Angevins have with nature. Regarding the amount of wastes collected in publics spaces in the city, it's rather "Few gardeners, big defiances".

The Angers Cie Map stages war scenes shots

In a quiet province like Anjou, far away from international news, dramatic as important issues nevertheless attract audience. That was the case with the play "Right to the end", written by Eric Bouvet, a photojournalist who was sent a few years ago to cover the Chechenia conflict opposing supporters of the independance of that Russian province, to Russia. The story is staging what were his feelings during the coverage of the Chechenia war.

That war leaded Eric Bouvet to face horrors, death, hell and madness. Following Russian soldiers, he depicts in "Right to the end", the progressive terrible bids between fighters of both sides. Brought face to face to such non sense facts and behaviours, it is possible that Mr Bouvet needed to write the things he saw after he "shots" them.

"Right to the end" was played in Saint-Barthélémy d'Anjou, a city in the surroundings of Angers on March 12th, after the story of Eric Bouvet was "translated" to the stage by the Angevine theatre "Cie Map", settled in the Monplaisir district. Both, Eric Bouvet and Map recently deserved the comments of the national daily newspaper Le Monde.

Letter from the editor

Dear Sam, Thank you for your kind comment. The choices of Angers inhabitants in favor of English sounding christian names is intriguing and has maybe something to see with a wish to introduce English words in their "home world". Regards. Edgar

Letter from the editor

Angers Daily News will interrupt its publication during a week for holidays. Edgar

"So British" is (at the) Welcome

"So British", the British forthight stops in Angers but just for two days! That event, initiated by the European cultural centre, an association located in Nantes and supported by Nantes Métropole, is about to travel across the Pays de la Loire. In Angers, the initiative is unfolded with several participants : the Maison de l'Europe 49, the English speaking library of Angers and the Wigan ambassador in Angers.

If "The Islanders in sight" are often considered as people having a way of life and of mind as different, sometimes conflicting with those of the continent. That's the gap the British fortnight stop in Angers wants to fill because, in spite of the differences, the two cultures have a lot of common elements. And the French way of life is clearly influenced by the British one. A walk along the stores front sides in Angers allow to notice the important use of English words...

If those are able to catch the interest of the Angevin passer by, that one should have a glance to the British exhibition. Permanent organizations dedicated to the tea tradition ("The nice cup of tea"), virtual visits of London and some of its monuments will take place for two days while different workshops will be set up on March 16th and 17th : an English market, debates about man and woman equality and above all a conference about the stereotype in English and French relations, by the Wigan ambassador to Angers, Al Makraz. 

The place where the fortnigh will be hosted is, by itself, a clue about the friendly interest of Angers towards the Islanders. The name of that building "Les Salons Curnonsky" was known, for a long time, by Angevins, and in French, "Le Welcome"...

Steal job

It was a crazy act. The man who commited it was probably mad. To attack a Pôle-Emploi agency with an aerosol spray for toilets is more inept than dangerous. Even if the man had nevertheless planned everything to make believe that it was about to commit an hold-up! Alas (for him) in spite of his mask, he did't impress anybody because, last but no least, there is no a single euro to steal in the unemployment authority...

The only valuable goal of such an action was to steal... a job. So much people in Angers and in France would be ready to carry out crazy things to get a job : some even publish their picture on a whole page of newspapers. Coincidence, the same day Angers medias reported the attack of the Angers Pôle Emploi agency, they debriefed they readers about the soaring of jobless people. With a 10% level, the unemployment reaches its worst level in France history. And Angers could be, according to the latest statistics, on the same trend.

So it's not amazing an Angers Pôle Emploi agency be attacked for a job. What person, sensible, without a single answer to hundreds of candidacies could be ready to do in order to get a job? If truth be told, was the robber of Pôle Emploi so crazy? All that joblessness doesn't smell good...

With the project of a new congress centre, the Maine reconquest should be considered as a source of revenues for the city

After the first change along the Maine right bank took place a few weeks ago near the Angers rowing club, a more general approach is planned by the Angers city council towards inhabitants. After the choice of an architects team by the town councillors in April 2012, a group of Angevins has since worked on the project of the redevelopment of the Maine banks. A synthesis of its technical constraints and the population opinion about the scheme is planned on March 19th at the Angers law school.

The "New Banks" project consists in a "reconquest of the river sides" aiming at gathering the left and the rights... parts of the town and at strenghening the attractiveness of the city in Western France first. If there is no doubt about the positive consequences of the project regarding the urban consistency of the city, its effects about the fame of Angers outside the West of the counctry seem, until now, a little bit vague. 

The risk is to get a place only designed for the Angevins pleasure while it should be a tool to attract tourists, for business or for leisure, from other parts of France and even from abroad. The set-up of the new congress centre announced a few weeks ago should give more consistency to the project. The new banks could also bring money.