France/ A project for a new commune around Le Merlerault
The ten communes of the Merlerault region could join together to form a single new community. The elected officials met on Friday, November 18, 2022 to discuss.
The mayors of the historic communes that make up the Merlerault country met on Friday, November 18, 2022, at the town hall of Merlerault(Orne). "We are still in the early stages, but the objective of these first meetings was to define the broad outlines of a governance framework in order to submit it to all the municipal councils. The latter will have to decide very soon whether they want to continue the discussions and then start building the new commune or simply give it up," say the elected officials.
A commune of 1,830 inhabitants
If the project succeeds in its entirety, the new commune of the Merlerault country would bring together nearly 1,830 inhabitants in the ten historical communes: Le Merlerault, Nonant-le-Pin, Saint-Germain-de-Clairfeuille, Godisson, La Genevraie, Les Authieux-du-Puits, Ménil-Froger, Champ-Haut, Lignères and Le Ménil-Vicomte.
"With their shops, associations, schools and services, Le Merlerault and Nonant-le-Pin form a direct catchment area for the small peripheral communes, so why not join forces and plan for the future? Why not join together and project a common destiny while preserving the pre-existing communal identities? We would thus be "like one". Moreover, in view of tomorrow's challenges in terms of environment and mobility, we will have to join forces to keep our inhabitants by improving the living environment and creating or strengthening local services, as well as promoting and supporting all the initiatives that will emerge on this territory. "
The second largest commune in the CDC
With 1,830 inhabitants, the new commune would be the second largest commune of the CDC des Vallées d'Auge et du Merlerault, in terms of number of inhabitants: Logically, a large majority of the inhabitants of our territory have difficulty identifying with this intercommunality which does not correspond to their living area. Today, our CDC exercises the majority of competences (economy, roads, school, early childhood). It is obvious that a commune of 1,830 inhabitants would carry more than ten isolated communes, seven of which represent less than 110 inhabitants.
By the end of the year, or even early 2023, the respective municipal councils of the ten communes will be invited to vote to continue discussions and engage, or not, the construction of a new commune.
"It is a purely informal vote, but it will nevertheless reflect a certain willingness to build together. We will go step by step, starting with the creation of one or more working groups to define the charter, the mode of governance and the financial and personnel aspects of the future new commune. At the same time, the agents of the community will be associated before its finalization. For the time being, the objective is to become a new commune from January1, 2025. "
Source: www.ouest-france.fr
