Due to inflation and the energy crisis, mayors find themselves in a difficult situation. So much so that 55% of them do not want to run again at the end of their term according to an Ifop survey published on the occasion of the French Congress of Mayors. The institute points out that this is a record in 20 years.
Those most concerned about this statistic are councilors who are elderly (72% of those over 70), rural (56%) and those for whom at least 10% of the operating budget is devoted to energy.
Mayors dissatisfied with government action
To get ahead, 16% of the mayors plan to merge with a neighboring municipality. “This figure, never measured to date, is a sample of the fears about the sustainability of the hexagonal municipal fabric,” writes Ifop. In addition, 12% of mayors may not pay the additional cost that they must pay to their energy provider.
Given the current context, the city councilors are, for the most part, unhappy with the response provided by the executive. In detail, 67% believe that the extension of the tariff shield to the communities is insufficient and 73% that the financing of aid for the energy transition is scarce.
In reaction, 82% of councilors are considering, or have already decided, to cut public lighting, while 24% could increase local taxes.
Source: BFM TV
