Charly Crespe's EPCI ambitions

Charly Crespe, mayor of Grau-du-Roi, has long wanted to change the EPCI (Etablissement Public de Coopération Intercommunale) structure, a position he has consistently held even during his recent municipal campaign. He believes the current community of communes, called Terre de Camargue, has several problems and that its small size—only three communes—makes it hard to create effective policies or plan for the future.

Challenges in the current structure

Crespe argues that the current EPCI limits future investments because it is too small. He pointed out that one commune contributes 80% of the tax revenue, creating an imbalance, and that services like waste management are struggling due to limited resources. He believes a larger structure is needed to address these issues effectively.

Proposed merger with Pays de l'Or

Crespe wants to merge with the communes of Saint-Laurent-d'Aigouze and Aigues-Mortes by next year, aiming to join the Pays de l'Or, a neighboring area with similar environmental and seasonal challenges. If those communes are not willing to merge, Grau-du-Roi may move forward alone. A public vote would be the first step, followed by a decision from the community council.

Legal and administrative steps required

If the vote is successful, the Pays de l'Or would need to approve the integration of Terre de Camargue. The process would also require approval from the CDCI (departmental intercommunal cooperation commission) in the departments of Gard and Hérault, as well as the prefects Fabienne Decottignies (Gard) and Chantal Mauchet (Hérault) for the official decree.

Legal framework and historical context

Under the NOTRe law of 2015, EPCIs must have at least 15,000 inhabitants to have their own tax revenue, with a minimum threshold of 5,000. If only Grau-du-Roi leaves the Terre de Camargue, Saint-Laurent-d'Aigouze and Aigues-Mortes would fall below this target, weakening their position. The prefects are likely to consider this in their decisions.

Historical precedents and legal challenges

There have been previous attempts for communes to move between EPCIs, such as in the Oise, where Boury-en-Vexin and Courcelles-lès-Gisors tried to leave one EPCI to join another but were later forced to reverse the move. While French law allows EPCIs with as few as two communes, such as the CC de Petite-Terre in Mayotte, having only two communes in Terre de Camargue would be rare but not impossible.