Temps de lecture : 3 minutes

What is a budget?

Article 14 of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen: "All citizens have the right to ascertain, by themselves or by their representatives, the necessity of public contribution, to consent to it freely, to monitor its use and to determine its amount, basis, collection and duration."

The budget applies this article of law. Every Montpellier resident is represented by elected officials. These elected officials decide on taxes and spending for the year.

What is the purpose of a budget?

A budget is a list of all revenues (money coming in) and all expenditures (money going out). It is needed to:

  • provide services to residents,
  • carry out work in the town.

The stages of a budget

  1. Budget guidelines
    Before the budget is voted, there is a discussion. This discussion is used to decide on the town's main priorities for the year.
  2. The primitive budget
    This is the main budget. It lists projected income and expenditure for the year.
  3. Modifying decisions and the supplementary budget
    Sometimes the budget has to be changed during the year.
    For example:
    • to manage unforeseen expenditure,
    • to use additional revenue.
    • The administrative account
  4. At the end of the year, we check
    • if planned revenue and expenditure have actually been achieved,
    • if objectives have been met.

What's in a budget?

The budget is divided into two parts:

  • The operating section, for current expenses (supplies, salaries...).
  • The investment section, for major projects (construction, works...).

In Montpellier, expenditure and revenue are classified by major activities:

  • General services
  • Safety
  • Education
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Health and social interventions
  • Housing
  • Urbanism and environment
  • Economy
  • Some revenues (such as taxes) and general expenditure are not associated with any particular activity.

Executing the budget means:

  • Paying bills (supplies, salaries, works...),
  • Collecting revenue (canteens, museums, subsidies...).

The mayor or a deputy decides on expenditure and revenue. But only a state-controlled public accountant can manage the money. This system guarantees that public money is well used and legally managed.

The 2024 budget

City and Metropolis 2025 budgets: strategic, controlled management

Adopted on April 8 and 10, 2025, the Montpellier Metropolis budget once again testifies to the Executive's proactive approach in the service of strong political choices, despite a national context that remains constrained. Voting these budgets represented a challenge to enable the commitments made to be put into practice for the benefit of the territory, its inhabitants, as well as all the agents of our communities.

Total budget: €1.823 M€ including €1.061 M€ of expenditure allocated to public policies

Gross savings of €84 M€, an increase of 8.5% on 2024 (+€7 M€).

  • Real operating expenditure: €675 M
  • Real capital expenditure: €646 M
  • Capital expenditure: €449 M

Priorities for investment action:

  • Mobilities (line 5, extension of line 1, bustram, La Comédie bicycle gallery, making transport safer, modernizing roads and public spaces...)
  • Energy transition (waste management, agroecologies and food sovereignty, development of renewable energies, thermal and energy renovation of buildings...)
  • Solidarity with residents and communes (support for the development and improvement of housing supply, signature of the new "Engagements Quartiers 2030" City Policy Contract, equipment fund and support for communes' assets...)

Human resources:

Wage bill for the Metropole: €167m

Actions planned for 2025:

  • An exemplary HR policy that cares about working conditions
    • Construction of a non-discriminatory recruitment policy
    • Finalization of the Document Unique d'Evaluation des Risques Professionnels
    • Support for agents: launch of individualized career paths
    • Launch of project: 26-28 training plan
  • Strengthening social policy and fair treatment
    • Implementation of Supplementary Social Protection
    • Implementation of the Plan de Mobilité Employeur (PDME) and Forfait Mobilités Durables (FMD)