"A budget that repairs and prepares" for the Department of Pas-de-Calais

A little over a month after the budget orientation debate, the elected officials of the Pas-de-Calais Departmental Council approved the initial budget on Monday morning.

“This 2022 budget is a budget in its own right, insisted President Jean-Claude Leroy: it is neither a transition and even less a break. It is both a budget that repairs and that prepares”. He stressed that three-quarters of the departmental budget was dedicated “to people without jobs, to the elderly, to those with disabilities. The essence of our action is also childhood, family, college students, youth, sport, community life. Our action is the very heart of the population, which deserves attention”.

The overall 2022 budget amounts to 1.87 billion euros, with operating expenses of 1.56 billion, up by 33.8 million euros (+2.2%) compared to the original 2021 budget The amount of gross savings is 90.7 million.

"Our action is the very heart of the population, which deserves attention"

Operating revenue amounts to 1.65 billion euros. Actual investment expenditure amounted to 220.1 million euros, with 35% for networks and infrastructures, and 27% for education (and in particular colleges).

The earmarked credits for this year 2022 are distributed among the various public policies. The envelope intended to guarantee and develop solidarity represents 1.1 billion euros: there are 184.3 million euros for supporting people with disabilities (including 5.6 million euros in investment), 270.9 million for the protection of children and families (including 4.2 million in investment); 263.5 million for support for the elderly, 378.1 million for employment, integration and housing, 4 million to improve accessibility and reception of the public.

For mobility and infrastructure, 91.8 million euros have been allocated in this new budget: 6 million for the transport of children with disabilities, 84.1 million for the maintenance and development of the road network (including 75 million in investment), 1.7 million for port and river infrastructure.

Not far from unanimity

With regard to Education, sport and culture, the budget is 141.9 million euros: 15.6 million for youth and sport (including 7 million in investment), 20.3 million for cultural programming (including 8.5 million in investment), 106 million for the maintenance, equipment and construction of colleges (including 60 million in investment).

Safety, development and attractiveness cost 120.9 million euros: 82.1 million for fire safety (including 4.3 million in investment), 24.9 million for tourism and local development (including 18 million in investment), 13.9 million for the enhancement of natural spaces (including 6.3 million in investment).

Finally, departmental public management represents 413.3 million: 244.1 million for staff costs, 106.8 million euros for financial transactions (including 83.2 million for reimbursement of debt capital).

“The Department left the dangerous zone, but it benefited from a favorable exogenous context”, noted François Vial of the RN, the only group to abstain. All the other political parties voted for this 2022 budget.