Wishes Lyon, 2009 in light
C'est a enjeu majeur pour faire revivre many territories abandoned by all: the opportunity was not seized by eminent Balladur committee since we are proposing measures to further strengthen the most dynamic metropolitan centers (albeit hampered by the burden of our system of one thousand leaf-institutional) and virtually nothing for a third of the French population "occupies" the territories still in the process of impoverishment total!
Over 21 million
(1 / 3 of the French) still hold the 1740 "urban and rural units " with between 1,000 and 60,000 inhabitants. Talk of Toul, Chaumont, Luneville, Vitry le Francois Saint-Dizier, Nontron Montmorillon Gueret, Mazamet Argentan Landerneau, Tulle, Guingamp. . . . and great sadness comes over you! See those small towns dying, their centers emptied of any substance by the large surface area, the loss of public services, courts, hospitals, unable to give their people the enthusiasm necessary to end the crisis. The proposals "Balladur" who themselves are often too shy to leave these territories from the torpor which worsens with impotence territorial organizations nested! They must first consideration, then give them the local democratic institutions and provided with simple all the necessary efficiency:
- - municipal level to the size of former townships or intercommunal (3-4000 instead of 36,000), with the ancient "parishes" a delegation of powers limited and variable depending on the size these entities (principle of subsidiarity: what I can do here is delegated to senior level)
- - district level smaller than the current one, with council or borough council responsible for coordination of proximity, and whose boundaries are reviewed based on the reality of the employment areas and living areas. Metropolis and very large cities can combine the skills within a single democratically elected assembly.
- - The regional level necessary to ensure fairness between the different territories, the land in all. There is no need to downgrade the regional capitals as even the most fragile Limousin is more populated than Malta or Luxembourg, nobody said they are illegitimate default size!
In a more general atmosphere of these reports and communications of prominent former first minister leave me three unpleasant impressions:
- project future of France is a watermark of these proposals is not ours: it is an arrogant country that wants, through manipulation of statistical entities included in a better place in the world rankings which is rengorgent technocrats of all stripes, but the deepest France is contrefout if only to reinforce the CAC40. Hence a certain priority that appears in the constitution of cities-including the Gross-Paris, or the nagging question of the alleged optimal size of the regions.
No enthusiasm can be deduced from these proposals, but only a very sad and chilly enough to worry the Tories who would prefer a double "the bush". Nothing that looks like a great site for general mobilization. The procrastination -
- announced promise again in series of setbacks leading to a gerrymandering probably of little consequence on the future of our regions.
Charge my full analysis here ;-) 
THE 20 PROPOSALS OF THE COMMITTEE
February 26, 2009
pink: the proposals rejected by members of the committee
PS Proposal No. 1: Foster groupings Volunteer areas and modification of their territorial limits, to reduce the number to fifteen.
Some French regions are less populated than their European counterparts, and their scope is sometimes disputed. The aim is to give them a critical size of 3 to 4,000,000 inhabitants. To facilitate the grouping of regions, it is proposed to simplify the law by providing that enough in the regions that wish, or the consent of regional councils, a referendum. For changes of regional boundaries, it is proposed that Parliament's vote is no longer required but sufficient deliberations concordant regions and departments, together with a favorable opinion of the general councils of the departments in each region.
Proposal No. 2: Promoting voluntary groupings of departments by law for similar regions.
There, under current law, no provision for the procedure to follow when two departments, or more, looking to regroup. However, some departments will demonstrate this. It is therefore proposed to implement the proposed legislation to departments to promote groupings of regions.
Proposal No. 3: Designate a single election, starting in 2014, the regional and departmental advisors, and consequently remove the cantons and conduct the election on the list.
To strengthen the role of the regions while bringing departments and modernizing the system of electing representatives of the people in each of these two levels of territorial administration, it is proposed to proceed simultaneously with that election in under a proportional list system in two rounds together with a majority bonus. The lists presented on the same day to vote with as many candidates as seats in the county councils. The first list would, in a proportion to be determined according to population, designated to serve on the regional council and county council, the following list of exclusively serving the county council. It follows that the cantons, even redrawn electoral districts would be inappropriate. The election would take place so as part of departmental sub districts, so that the identity of the territories continues to be consideration at departmental level and is better than it is today at the regional level.
Proposal No. 4: Finish before 2014, the intermunicipal board.
Almost all French municipalities are members of a group of municipalities, but in some areas, the map of intermunicipal remains unfinished. He agrees that the municipalities that are not members of an urban community, or an urban community or a community of shared join before 2014, a group corresponding to the size of their population.
Proposal No. 5: Streamline, 2014, map of local unions.
To simplify the operation of local governments and reduce the number of levels of administration, it is proposed that before 2014, and all SIVOM SIVU are, when their scope is that of a group of municipalities, absorbed by it and requires clarification of the conditions of accession of Commons to unions whose perimeter is only partially overlaps that of the group of municipalities to which they belong.
Proposal No. 6: stop creating new "country "Under the Act of February 4, 1995.
Most "country" were the structures of precursor groups of municipalities. They have essentially completed their office. It is therefore proposed to outlaw the creation of new "country" in the sense contemplated in the Act of February 4, 1995.
Proposal No. 7: Develop the election of legislative bodies of their own tax EPCI direct universal suffrage, at the same time and on the same list as municipal councilors.
Most groups perform common, in fact, very general competencies, instead of common constituent. However, the legislative bodies of these groups only result of indirect suffrage. It is proposed to extend the scope of local democracy by providing that members of these organs are directly elected, simultaneously and on the same list as city councilors, the first list of aspiring to serve on the Board intermunicipal and municipal council of their municipality, the following list of serving exclusively in their local council. So that all communities are represented in satisfactory condition at the community board, it is expected that the demographic representation would be accompanied by a provision that each municipality has at least one representative on the Community Board. It can be deduced from the foregoing that the inter-executive mandates should be within the scope of the legislation on the limitation of multiple directorships.
Proposal No. 8: Create the law first eleven cities, beginning in 2014, then other districts can, on a voluntary basis, access to this status.
A /. It was in 1966 that was created by law, urban communities. To give a new impetus the most important of them and provide our country with settlements of sufficient strength, it is proposed to establish, by law, before 2014, a first group of cities (Lyon, Lille, Marseille, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Nantes , Nice, Strasbourg, Rouen, Toulon and Rennes), which would then aim to join if they wish, intercommunal fulfilling the conditions imposed by that law.
B /. The cities were well established local special status, exercising, in addition to some of the skills of common skills, including social, devolved to departments.
C /. Either the member municipalities and urban communities of agglomeration on the basis and within the scope of which would have created the cities as "urban" legal persons of public law with expertise and resources of their own tax and elected councils. Metro councilors are elected on the same list and the same day as city councilors, in the manner already described for other simultaneous elections as recommended by the Committee.
Either the member municipalities and urban communities of agglomeration on the basis and within the scope of which cities would be created would retain the quality of local government, implying that the provisions are amended the fifth paragraph of Article 72 of the Constitution which prohibit the tutelage of a local authority to another. In this case, the metropolitan advisers would also be elected on the same list and the same day as municipal councilors in the manner already described.
Proposal No. 9: intercommunal allow to become common in new redeployment in their favor, aid the integration of Commons.
The goal is ultimately the intercommunal turn into full-function joint, which would allow France to have strong municipalities, in reasonable numbers. To encourage this movement, it is proposed that aid to integration are redeployed for intercommunal where the need for integration is most evident, that a deadline be set by law for the allocation of these aid and that after the time so granted to municipalities to embark on the path of integration, such aid is frozen and then decrease gradually.
Proposal No. 10: reduce by one third the maximum numbers of inter-executive.
France is characterized by the high number of members of local executives, particularly at the level of municipalities. The result, in addition to operating expenses sometimes hard to justify, a dilution of responsibilities. Eskil also proposed a reduction of one third of the executives inter.
Proposal No. 11: confirm the general jurisdiction clause at municipal level (cities, communes and intercommunal news from other municipalities) and specialized skills departments and regions.
After defining the respective jurisdictions of each level of local communities, it is proposed that departments and regions can not intervene in the areas of competence that the law gives them, so as to limit the excesses of cross-financing . However, to ensure elected officials closest to the people and their needs the ability to take initiative in cases not covered by laws and regulations, the municipalities in their current form, the local news from intercommunal and cities would exert, in addition to their skills award, a general jurisdiction. In addition, departments retain the right to provide support for investments by municipalities.
Proposal No. 12: clarify the division of powers between local communities and between them and the state.
The division of responsibilities between local reports of multiple texts and scattered. It is proposed that the government initiate and carry out before the end of this legislature a general review of these skills to distinguish between skills that must remain shared several levels of local government, those should be assigned exclusively to one category of local authorities and those likely to be the subject of delegated powers.
Proposal No. 13: Provide, during the general review of public policy, to draw all the consequences of decentralization laws, so that the services or parts of decentralized government services involved in the scope of local powers are removed.
More than a quarter of a century after the great decentralization laws, the state has not yet learned the consequences in terms of its decentralized organization and many duplicates exist, which complicate decision-making procedures and increase the cost. It is proposed that whenever the state continues to intervene in a matter within the exclusive competence of local authorities, it removes the services or the corresponding parts of decentralized services.
Proposal No. 14: define, as part of an annual debate in Parliament, an annual target of evolution of local public expenditure.
can Regrettably, given its importance, local public expenditure is not well known and is mentioned in Parliament that during the fiscal policy debate. For clarity of democratic debate and for the information of local managers, it is proposed that Parliament shall hold an annual debate on this point and that it is fueled by a statement developed by an ad hoc committee to define under the control of Parliament, performance indicators and a guide to good practice in the management of local finances. Local authorities would be better informed about the consequences of spending and our national capacity to ensure the coherence of its European commitments.
Proposal No. 15: revise the property tax base and provide local direct updating them every six years.
Currently, the land bases of local direct taxes are those set in 1970. It is proposed that the review of these databases is part of the overall reform of local government, it is provided based on rental values given that reflect the housing market, the law regulates the transfer of charges resulting for taxpayers, establish a mechanism for spreading the load transfers over several years and establish an automatic reassessment every six years.
Proposal No. 16: full compensation for the removal of business tax by another mode of taxation on economic activity, particularly based on rental values and property reassessed the value-added businesses.
Removing announced business tax and the necessary compensation, representing a stake of some 22 billion euros for local authorities, have led the Committee to reaffirm its commitment the persistence of a link between business and tax communities in whose territory they are located. After reviewing various options, the Committee rejected the idea of shared national taxes and the taxation of energy consumption, which also hit households. It proposes to ensure the neutrality of the public finances reform, which requires a resource of 8 billion euros, apart from land, revalued, the taxation of businesses, these are imposed Depending on the value added they release, the rate of this tax, which would be allocated to local authorities, not to exceed a ceiling set at the national level. To fill the remainder for local would be financed in the form of budgetary allocations and the transfer of various indirect taxes, such as additional tax on insurance agreements.
Proposal No. 17: limit the combination of taxes on the same tax base.
Some 39,000 separate entities have, in France, the ability to levy taxes. This results in opacity of the tax system that night the exercise of local democracy. It is also proposed to avoid too many levels of local authorities have the power to set the tax rates based on the same plate, while leaving each level of local government can freely set the rate of at least one tax. The allocation proposed by the Committee closer to that goal, taking into account the amount of expenditure incurred by each category of local authorities.
Proposal # 18: Create in 2014, a local authority with special status, called "Grand Paris "on the territory of Paris and the departments of Seine-Saint-Denis Val-de-Marne and Hauts-de-Seine. This creation is preceded by a consultation involving representatives of local stakeholders, social partners and economic forces.
The City of Paris and the three departments of the "little crown" together over six million inhabitants. Within this set, the need for coordination of public policy are dire and way of inter-municipal cooperation has never been attempted, unlike the urban communities that exist in other urbanized areas of our country. It is also proposed to allow the emergence of a new metropolis, creating in 2014, after a proper public consultation, a local specific features with powers that would be those departments deleted and intercommunal most important there. The municipalities included in the scope of the "Greater Paris" would retain their status as local authorities and the current voting system for appointing their municipal councils. Advisers of "Greater Paris" would be elected in constituencies cut within the current departments, the party-list in two rounds by proportional representation with majority bonus, the first list on the board and regional council following list of "Greater Paris".
Proposal No. 19: amend certain provisions of the current voting system for appointing members of the Corsican Assembly.
Until the election of the Assembly of Corsica remains separate from the departmental assemblies, amendments to existing legislation, as regards the majority bonus and the conditions for maintaining or merging of lists, would constitute a majority in the House.
Proposal No. 20: The establishment within the departments and regions overseas, a single assembly.
Unlike the rule in France who wants a single local authority administers a territory, the overseas departments also have the character of regions. The resulting disadvantages are many, in terms of exercise of local democracy and operating cost. It is proposed that these departments are administered after consultation with the voters, by a single assembly.
* Proposals 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19 and 20 were adopted unanimously by the Committee members .
Proposal No. 3 was adopted by the majority of the Committee, Mr. Mauroy Vallini and voting against and Mr. Verpeaux abstaining.
The A and C of Proposition No. 8 was adopted unanimously by the members of the Committee, the B was adopted by a majority of Committee members, MM. Mauroy Vallini and Julliard voting against.
Proposal No. 11 was adopted by a majority of the Committee, MM. Mauroy Vallini and voting against and MM. Julliard, and Casanova Verpeaux abstaining.
Proposal No. 18 was adopted by the majority of the Committee, Mr. Mauroy and Vallini voting against.
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Site Committee for the local government reform: all hearings
Here to download the full report (with the 2 bills)
http://www.lyon-au-centre.org/
tribute Genevieve Tabouis, journalist Dan_69007
