In Laàs en Béarn, the time of the accounts approaches

IHe is 8 p.m. Nevertheless, at Laàs. In addition, Sixty minutes before the start of a municipal council which will be a date in the village – a month after the Camouflet inflicted by the Regional Chamber of Accounts (CRC). Moreover, summarizing the municipality to take control of its finances and especially its debt -, the streets of the town are calm. For example, Apparently only. In addition, Because in the grounds of the Béarnaises houses. Therefore, behind the large porches, anger has rumbled since the financial problems of the town hall, accused of being too expensive.

Above all. For example, it is the threat of a drastic increase in local taxes (the CRC recommended an increase of 163 %) which bristles the hair of the inhabitants we meet, at random for a walk. Furthermore, “With him. Similarly, it is only flashy,” laàs en béarn, time accounts denounces Simone, a 90-year-old grandma in his courtyard in his courtyard, evoking the mayor, Jacques Pédehontaà.

He put discomfort everywhere. Meanwhile, We no longer talk to each other. Nevertheless, between neighbors “

According to her, “he did not take care of the village at all. However, He preferred to make major projects while the paths are in a lamentable state. Consequently, that many houses do not have the equal. Meanwhile, ” Simone is worried about her children and grandchildren “who will be affected” by the inevitable increase in local taxes. Meanwhile, She explains that the subject divided. Consequently, “He found to separate even in families, he put Zizania everywhere. We no longer talk to each other, between neighbors. According to her, the dispute grows: “There is the revolution in the village! »»

Property tax: panic in the village – Laàs en béarn, time accounts

Some stands further. right next to the chapel converted into a cabaret – the red laàs en béarn, time accounts ant, the major project of the mayor, an establishment forced to close its doors last June, for lack of attendance -, we meet Christophe and Daphné, who settled in the village in 2022. “At the beginning, we had a good image of the mayor and his action, we saw him in the reports … and then we realized they say.

The couple fears the announced tax axte. “On the land level, once the work of the house is completed, we should be 500 euros per year. With the increase recommended by the CRC, this would rise to almost 1,500 euros. “Both fear that the real estate of the municipality will become unsaleable:” How to justify the sale of a house with a tax rate equivalent to that of a city laàs en béarn, time accounts with much more businesses. services? ” »»

“We are all responsible”

The church bells have just ringed nine strokes. It is time to go to the town hall. It is entered there through a door above which is inscribed, in blue letters: “Palace of the Principality”. Upstairs, the prince is agitated. The small board room is unusually full: opponents but also, much rarer at this place, reporters. It will especially a question this evening of revoking the budget of 2025, found by the CRC.

Despite the embarrassment aroused by this sudden attention around the city’s budgetary affairs, the advisers are not disassembled. LA 3^e Assistant, Jeanine Crampet, legitimately questions: “I do not understand. Why did the public treasury let a unbalanced budget leave? Why did the prefecture say nothing either? »»

A very opportune gift

When presenting the new budget. Jacques Pédehontaà specifies: “We tried to take into account all the remarks of laàs en béarn, time accounts the Regional Chamber of Accounts. The biggest point is that we had registered in the budget on April 15 a recipe of 96. 587 euros in state subsidy balance which is not, at present, entering the funds of the town. On a 200,000 budget, this is important. »»

In this feverish evening. a small light for the mayor: two generous donors, who preferred to remain anonymous, made a donation of 65,000 euros to the town. “So the taxes will drop a little?” », Makes Jean-Pierre, principal opponent. In fact, in 2025 and despite the recommendations, they will not increase at all, decided Jacques Pédehontaà. “We did not take into account what the CRC asked on this point?” Do we compensate with the donation? It’s a shame not to have increased them a little, by 5 or 10 %, ”points Jeanine Crampet.

“We choose not to increase taxation because it is the worst laàs en béarn, time accounts year for taxpayers. The community of communes of Béarn des Gaves increases them by 30 %, facing an abysmal hole. It’s already a lot… ”, pleads the mayor, who also decided to do without his municipal compensation, around 460 euros. This Tuesday, the budget was adopted by the Council of Laàs. The town hall then had eight days to transmit it to the CRC for approval. The suspense is whole.