Bordeaux’s city administration faces scrutiny regarding its financial management, as highlighted in a recent report from the Nouvelle-Aquitaine regional chamber of accounts. While the city maintains a stable financial situation, concerns about absenteeism among municipal employees, excessive staffing in the mayor’s office, and a lack of transparency in subsidy allocations were raised. Additionally, the report calls for more equitable expense sharing with Bordeaux Métropole and emphasizes the need to address payment delays that exceed regulatory limits.
Le Figaro Bordeaux
Is the Bordeaux city administration effectively managing its finances? The Nouvelle-Aquitaine regional chamber of accounts (CRC) has released its findings and recommendations, six years following its previous report. This comprehensive 131-page document states, “a healthy financial situation, at this stage”, while also indicating areas that could benefit from enhancement. Overall, the report is encouraging but highlights several critical areas for improvement.
Coincidentally, on November 4, Mayor Pierre Hurmic chose to display posters on the Palais Rohan, criticizing the budget cuts proposed by the government in the 2025 finance bill. This action drew sharp criticism from right-wing and centrist officials during the municipal council held the following day. The CRC report, released on the same day, provides a broader context regarding the city’s financial management since 2017.
Financial Stability with Caution Required
The regional chamber of accounts deems the city’s financial conditions to be robust, attributing this stability to an increase in self-financing and a manageable debt, which stands at a repayment period of 4.9 years. However, the CRC cautions that these positive balances require vigilant monitoring, especially considering the shift in management products and expenditures since 2019. To maintain this favorable status, the CRC advises the municipality to shorten its payment deadlines to protect its cash flow, which could potentially falter once payment ceilings are met.
Additionally, the CRC observes that the ecologist-led town hall has “sought to engage in a process of certifying its accounts, alongside a panel of experimental local authorities”, a commendable initiative that the city of Bordeaux is not legally obligated to undertake. This endeavor aims to “secure and streamline the chain of expenses and revenues” over time. The municipality’s collection rate has seen improvements, rising to 90.18% in 2022 compared to 87.77% “for cities of the same tier”, largely attributed to “the implementation of the new system in the management of school canteens and nurseries.”
Concerning Absenteeism Among Municipal Employees
Absenteeism among civil servants has become a contentious issue, especially following comments from Minister of Public Service, Guillaume Kasbarian. Bordeaux mirrors this trend, as outlined in the CRC report, which reveals that the number of absentee days for municipal employees has escalated from 36 days per employee in 2017 to 46 in 2022. In 2022, the total personnel expenses reached 157.5 million euros, comprising 50.01% of management expenses. Notably, the CRC mentions that the payroll “does not account for the financial implications of high absenteeism”, estimated to range from 7.8 to 9.3 million euros in 2020.
Addressing the “high level of absenteeism within the community”, the CRC indicates that the municipality has initiated several measures, including enhancing medical oversight of staff, reorganizing the occupational health service, and addressing psychosocial risk management. “In recognition of the significant absenteeism in certain departments, the community has been actively working since 2019 to implement targeted strategies to mitigate this trend”, the CRC adds. An action plan is set to launch “in 2024”, focusing on improving workstation ergonomics, managing career paths, and enhancing staff retention.
Excessive Staffing in the Mayor’s Office
The CRC raises concerns about the unusual staffing levels in the mayor’s office, where 94 agents are assigned, far exceeding the permissible limit of seven for a city like Bordeaux. This arrangement, established in 2017, persists under the current administration. These agents, although officially affiliated with the mayor’s office, perform various administrative and technical duties for the city, which ideally should be under the purview of the director general of services (DGS). The CRC argues that this irregular structure creates confusion regarding administrative management and responsibilities.
This situation also calls into question the transparency and efficacy of municipal governance. The high number of agents assigned to the mayor’s office, while they are engaged in operational functions, complicates coordination with city services and obscures hierarchical responsibilities. The CRC thus suggests reverting to a more conventional structure where agents tasked with technical or administrative functions are directly linked to the DGS, clarifying their specific roles.
Responsibility Sharing with the Metropolis
To alleviate some financial burdens, the CRC recommends a more equitable distribution of certain expenses with Bordeaux metropolis. The city aims to share the substantial costs of facilities deemed to serve metropolitan interests more fairly. The CRC proposes establishing clearer definitions that would enable the transfer of some responsibilities to Bordeaux Métropole, ensuring adequate financial support while aligning these facilities with a broader territorial development strategy.
This discussion of shared responsibilities particularly focuses on the Bordeaux National Opera and the École supérieure des Beaux-Arts. The CRC emphasizes that these institutions, which extend their influence beyond the city limits, should receive backing from the metropolis. While discussions about transferring responsibilities are ongoing, they remain challenging to finalize. The national opera, which the city finances at 72% of its budget, incurs significant costs for the municipality, even though its audience mainly comes from outside the city. Similarly, the School of Fine Arts attracts numerous students from outside Bordeaux, placing a financial strain on the city despite the benefits it brings to the metropolitan area.
Lack of Transparency in Subsidies and Payment Delays
The CRC critiques the city’s subsidy allocation processes, citing a lack of transparency and rigor, often due to ambiguous criteria and inadequate oversight. It advises a comprehensive review of these processes to ensure fairer distribution and stricter monitoring of public funds. In 2022, the city allocated nearly 81 million euros in operating subsidies, marking a 16.5% increase since 2017.
Another pressing concern is the delay in payments. The CRC highlights that payment timelines, which significantly exceed the regulatory limit of 30 days, remain notably high in Bordeaux, particularly for investments, where the average delay extends to 68 days. This situation has led to numerous complaints from companies and late payment interest exceeding three million euros from 2020 to 2022, of which the municipality has only settled a fraction.
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