Faced with exorbitant election costs, mayors demand compensation from the State

It was too much. Annoyed, Camille Pouponneau decided to take up her pen on August 23 to write to Emmanuel Macron. The mayor of Pibrac (Haute-Garonne) denounces the exorbitant costs of the early legislative elections of June 30 and July 7. The 35-year-old elected official took out her calculator: the purchase of equipment cost her the tidy sum of 2,093 euros. But such an election is not limited to the purchase of signs or pens. To this must be added the costs of the personnel responsible for the organization, which represent 16,669 euros, including 4,825 euros for overtime. Since the political parties have fewer activists and therefore fewer scrutineers to propose to ensure the smooth running of the elections, a certain number of cities had to mobilize municipal employees on a Sunday. In total, the bill comes to 18,762 euros.

A hefty amount for this small town of 9,000 inhabitants. “During election years, we know that we will have this additional cost. We budget for it,” explains Camille Pouponneau. “Here, we were unable to anticipate.” This tidy sum is not anecdotal, however. In a town like Pibrac, it represents a year’s worth of books for the municipal media library. The mayor has no illusions: she will not get this money back. “Besides, I haven’t had a response since,” she laments. “But my approach was intended to be symbolic. The goal was to bring back the mayors’ fed-upness.” Pibrac is not the only one to have a hole in its coffers after the snap election at the beginning of the summer. Many elected officials had to give up organizing weddings in the municipal function room during the two rounds. That’s a lot of lost income.

The state must pay, according to the law

“During elections, municipalities are only reimbursed ten cents per voter, an amount that has not been increased for years,” regrets André Robert, general delegate of the Association of Small Towns of France. For Pibrac, the State’s reimbursement does not exceed 1,070 euros. However, Article L70 of the Electoral Code stipulates: “Expenses resulting from electoral assemblies held in municipalities are the responsibility of the State.” To add insult to injury to these elected officials, Bruno Le Maire is now accusing local authorities of living beyond their means.

The resigning Minister of Finance believes that the “main risk” for the public accounts for 2024 is “the extremely rapid increase in local authority spending”. André Robert is furious: “This is unfair and dishonest. The share of public debt attributable to local authorities represents less than 10%, while at the same time we are constantly asked to assume additional costs.”

Between the recent salary increase for civil servants, new standards and investment needs in the ecological transition, town halls feel they have to do more with less. The Association of Mayors of France hopes that Michel Barnier’s government will be more understanding…