17.01.2017

Aline Hanson assumed the presidency of the Collectivité "consciously and with determination."

The New Year’s Ceremony for the territorial council took place on Friday morning in the Hôtel de la Collectivité in the presence of elected officials, socio-professionals, and other key players in the territory.

Two months from leaving her seat as president of the Territorial Council, Aline Hanson did not project herself into the future during the ceremony. According to her staff, she wishes to run for a second term and present herself as her own successor, but wants to announce it at the proper moment, or after the territorial council that will take place on January 19.

On Friday, the outgoing president therefore limited herself to a summary, specifically in the fiscal area, of the actions carried out since her accession to the position nearly four years ago. "In April 2013, I took on a large responsibility. I assumed it consciously and with determination. To lead the Collectivité, I leaned on my experience, my elected colleagues, and the skills of the territorial technicians. I always privileged collective action, listening, and dialogue, which is what allowed us to move forward," she declared.

Taxes and finances

One of the priorities, if not the obligation, of the majority installed in 2012 was to improve finances. To replenish the empty coffers of the Collectivité. In addition to the actions taken to promote the young people for whom she has such affection, Aline Hanson is now proud of her work on taxation and finances. Taxes were the first point she covered in her speech.

"In 2013, when I took the reins, finances had been bled dry, and the treasury was in the red.  On that point, I can announce to you that the situation is much better than five years ago," she commented. "Tax receipts represent a lot of this, as we passed from €51 million in 2012 to €100 million in 2016," she affirmed, insisting on the fact that "[her] majority" had not increased the tax rates. Rather, it preferred to “focus [its] efforts" on improving tax collection by the State departments. "And that worked... What collectivité can claim to have stabilized its tax rates in a context of reducing State appropriations?" the president boasted. "Our receipts increased because I personally got the President of the Republic to strengthen the means allocated to collection and monitoring," she went on to state.

On Friday, the president guaranteed that "the principle of tax equality was better respected. Those who had paid nothing before now find themselves required to fund their territory. This is a good thing for the Collectivité treasuries."

She also confirmed that the Collectivité was "up to date on its payments" and that "all contracts prior to December have been settled."

"The balance has been redressed," but Aline Hanson is having trouble digesting the Collectivité’s failure faced with the constitutional council on the subject of compensation for transfers of jurisdiction. And the tens of millions of euros that the State could have repaid to the Collectivité. "I made constitutionality a priority issue, and I convinced the Council of State of the serious nature of our arguments. But against all expectations, the Constitutional Council deemed it normal that the Collectivité should begin its existence with an annual structural deficit of 12 M€," she noted. And admitted: "we have no other choice than to face the situation, and tangible signs show that we are gradually getting there."

Security and justice

Concerning justice, Aline Hanson lauded "the significant advances for the territory" created by the detached chamber of Saint-Martin and the implementation of the victims' aid association, whose premises in Grand Case were provided by the Collectivité.

As for security, the president noted the Collectivité’s investments in the State "to prevent delinquency."

"The partnership agreement between the gendarmerie and the territorial police allowed for an improved exchange of information, joint patrols, horizontal actions, and police training. The staff of the territorial police has increased, we opened a police station in Grand Case, and our police officers took qualifying trainings in 2016. They became professionalized and are now entitled to bear arms," she noted.

Cooperation

Aline Hanson closed her speech as president of the Collectivité with the work done on cooperation. She cited particularly the common actions with Sint Maarten and Anguilla (health observatory, cross-border operational program), Saint-Martin’s joining of the Association of Caribbean States in June 2016 as an associate member, and the request for membership in the organization of the Eastern Caribbean States.

 

Estelle Gasnet
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