Ladies and Gentlemen,
Presidents of Associations,
Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends,
The municipal team and I are delighted to welcome you to our New Year celebrations. They are always a special occasion to bring together residents, elected representatives and municipal staff.
First of all, I would like to wish a speedy recovery to all those who are ill – and we have many this year – and our thoughts are with the families of those who have left us.
As we all know, the past 3 years have not been a smooth ride, as many of our habits and even certainties have been shaken up. It’s been a difficult and restrictive period, which is still leaving its mark on our daily lives, given the economic and social difficulties we have to face.
This health crisis has been compounded by an economic, climatic and energy crisis, as well as an international conflict, all of which force us, as elected representatives, to face up to the challenges of our daily lives and project ourselves into the future, despite everything.
While we need to think about our projects with a degree of caution, we must nonetheless maintain an optimistic vision and continue to move our commune forward, while serving our fellow citizens.
This is the spirit in which we have moved forward, responded to requests, launched projects and already completed some of them.
It is the role of elected representatives to assume responsibility for their choices. In 2023, we have not increased the property tax rate on properties, or any other tax for that matter, which is now the community’s only way for increasing its resources and adjusting its budget, since the disappearance of the taxe d’habitation. The government has increased the tax base, and the community of communes has adjusted its rates, which is why we have chosen not to do the same. For 2024, we’ll certainly be back to business as usual, applying a 1% increase to the various tax rates.
Let me emphasize that we’re talking about a 1% increase in rates, not in the amount you pay, nor in the bases that only the State can influence, which represent around 1.50 euros per inhabitant.
Now, ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to give you an overview of our situation, our future challenges and our hopes for better days.
Last year, we switched to waste sorting instructions. Almost all your waste becomes a resource, and if, as has been the case since January the 1st of this year, by removing your organic waste, you’ll have virtually nothing left in your black or grey household waste bag.
We’ve been using the new containers since September. I’m pleased to see that it’s working very well, you’re used to it, you’re committed to reducing waste, the place is respected and fairly clean, although I have noticed a few incivilities, but that’s still reasonable. The quantity of household waste has been halved, and we’ll see if this trend persists over the summer period.
I’d like to congratulate all the residents of our commune, and I’m well aware of the effort that has gone into achieving this success. It’s important to take care of our planet for future generations.
As we do every year, we have carried out maintenance work on our buildings and public spaces. If we want to keep our steadily growing heritage in good condition, and pass it on to future generations, we have a duty to preserve it.
In 2024, we plan to refurbish the small square opposite rue de l’école, once the local residents have completed their improvements.
From time to time, we receive requests for accommodation from small businesses that are now obliged to build in business parks. So we’ve come up with the idea of building a large hangar in the area below the water tower, to accommodate various trades.
The Alban house has been completed, and we plan to offer it as a furnished studio for weekly rental during the vacation season.
The apartment above the grocery store will be finished in the next few weeks and we’ll be able to rent it out.
As some of you may have noticed, we’ve done a good job of cleaning up the Bernac cemetery, which was necessary to facilitate its regular upkeep.
As we do almost every year, we’ve completed a few lengths of sidewalk, but there’s still a lot left to do.
We had planned to repair the roofs of the town hall and the church, but only the town hall roof and the anti-moss treatment were carried out. The craftsman was unable to do the church roof due to lack of time, but he expects to be able to carry it out before the summer.
You have all noticed that our « multiple rural» (shop) is closed. This service is essential for our commune, and we will do our utmost to find a buyer.
For some years now, we have been required by law to have a water supply point usable by the fire service within 400 meters of each dwelling, by road. We had existing water points: two hydrants in the village, one in Montaillac, a pond in Les Goudards and a flexible cistern in Meyrac belonging to the Buddhist church. We have installed two hydrants, one on the Chemin des Cadarets and the other at the intersection of the Montaillac and Meyrac roads.
An agreement to use the Meyrac cistern has been signed with the Buddhist Church to cover this area. We are currently looking for locations for other points, either natural reserves or to install flexible reserves.
The communal territory is practically covered by optical fiber. To find ou il t whether you are eligible, please contact your telephone company. A small section, from Les Brisseaux to Les Bournizeaux, has not yet been completed, but according to my information, this is imminent.
Although our financial indicators are good and our management is sound, the keystone of any public policy remains a community’s ability to finance its investments.
There’s no secret about it: this can only be achieved by rigorously limiting all operating expenses, which is far from being the case, with our « rulers » inventing new standards and obligations every year, driving up our operating costs. Investing in our community means enhancing our territory, making it more attractive and protecting our environment and quality of life. I would like to tell you that behind each of these projects, these solutions that we are trying to provide, together, to the challenges that face us, there is at heart a vision, to which I strive to remain faithful every day, and which I am keen to share with you: that of an attractive, welcoming, clean and safe territory.
But I’m not doing it alone, and I’d like to thank my deputies for their day-to-day work, and all the town councillors for their sense of responsibility.
I would also like to thank all our technical and administrative staff for the quality of their work. They are the linchpins of our decisions, and I am delighted to be surrounded by a competent and committed team at the service of the Loubésiens.
Our team is at your service and at your disposal, so don’t hesitate to come and meet us by requesting an appointment at the Town Hall.
Of course, many faces are familiar to me: long-time residents, committed players in the life of our community, volunteers from the sports, cultural, entertainment, festive and leisure clubs who contribute to the success of community events, parents of schoolchildren, craftsmen and shopkeepers, and the young people we have seen grow up in Loubès.
The municipal team and I are delighted to welcome new families. Each and every one of you has a place here. At Loubès-Bernac, we are all links in the same chain, the one that moves us forward in the general interest and in solidarity.
To all of you, I propose to act together as if it were impossible to fail. May 2024 see the realization of all that you wish and undertake. Let us hope, together, that attention to others, listening and dialogue will always prevail over indifference.
A new year begins, and we’ve barely seen 2023 go by, so much has been done. Together with our councillors and municipal staff, we have acted for the people and the future of our commune, always with the common good at heart, always with the objectives of combating and adapting to climate change, of creating links and solidarity between residents, so that no-one is left behind or in difficulty, while maintaining dialogue with other local authorities and the State through essential partnerships.
I would like to extend my best wishes and thanks to all those whose job it is to educate, care for, assist, listen to and integrate. My thanks and best wishes also go to the entrepreneurs, shopkeepers, craftsmen and farmers of our commune, whose dynamism gives vitality to our region.
And for you, ladies and gentlemen, I wish you health, happiness, fraternity and success in your projects.