Politics – Community of communes of Val de Morteau: the new executive is in place

The mayor of Morteau Cédric Bâle was unsurprisingly re-elected president of the CCVM. He will be surrounded by 8 vice-presidents to carry out the major projects of the mandate. What awaits the newly elected officials?

As Pierre Vaufrey, the dean of the assembly, recalled at the time of the installation of the new elected members of the CCVM, in this intercommunal body, “There is no primacy for the central town or the intermediate towns. Within our office, the voice of the smallest municipality counts as much as that of the largest, since each municipality has a president or vice-president.†There is therefore no need for belligerence, as Cédric Bâle, reappointed president, repeated just after his election: “The spirit of 1973, the date of creation of the District, must be that of 2026: a spirit of vision, of cooperation, of going beyond particular interests to build a strong, structured and united territory in the face of major challenges. Because our strength is there.â€

To carry out his missions, the president of com’com will therefore be surrounded by 8 vice-presidents and as if to push the principle of equity to the extreme, the protocol order of the vice-presidents has been placed in the descending order of the populations of the communes, the vice-presidency of the commune of Morteau being, however, ranked last as a measure of balance.

In order, Villers-le-Lac (with Romain Vermot as 1st vice-president), Les Fins (Hervé Remonnay, 2nd), Montlebon (Christophe André, 3rd), Grand’Combe-Châteleu (Christelle Vuillemin, 4th), Les Gras (Aurélien Querry, 5th), Les Combes (Hervé Dard, 6th), Le Bélieu (Catherine Mauvais, 7th, and not the new mayor Nicolas Paget whose employment as an agent of the CCVM is incompatible with a function of vice-president), and Morteau with Christian Péraldi who becomes 8th vice-president and will follow in particular the intercommunal commission for security and delinquency prevention.

Zoom – The major projects of the mandate

• Economy, Agriculture and Training Commission. The development of the Bas-de-la-Chaux activity zone will be at the heart of the concerns of this working commission with on the program, “the renovation and extension of the corporate hotel with the creation of a corporate restaurant on the site, and an incubator dedicated to the circular economy†indicates Cédric Bâle. The future Tremplin economic space in Morteau will also be on the menu of this mandate, a place intended to welcome businesses and develop training spaces. It should be completed within two years.
• Tourism Commission. The main investment of the mandate for this commission will be the creation of the Cité des Horlogers on the site of Château Pertusier in Morteau. “Work is due to start during the second quarter of this year, for delivery in 2028.†The classification operation of Saut and the Doubs basins in “Grand national site†which the State must support financially will be carried out in conjunction with Swiss tourism stakeholders. Objective: move towards more virtuous management of this natural site by setting up new reception structures there “offer a slightly more scientific approach to visitors.â€
  The development of outdoor sports including the creation of a real mountain bike station with fun, sports, family and enduro trails around the Gardot site is also planned during this mandate as well as “the continued creation of cycle routes.†The takeover of the Espace Morteau complex by the CCVM with renovation of the site has also been launched. The establishment located at the entrance to Morteau is now the property of the public land establishment which will make it available to the CCVM which will undertake the work.
• Territorial planning and ecological transition commission : The big issue of the mandate will be the finalization of the local intercommunal urban planning plan (PLUI) “which must be effective from 2027†indicates Cédric Bâle. A local housing plan must complete this PLUI, and a town planning police force will be created within the CCVM to monitor (and possibly sanction) building permits which do not strictly respect the guidelines of the town planning plan.
• Resources and Infrastructure Management Commission. This commission will be responsible for monitoring the work underway to create the new Villers-le-Lac wastewater treatment plant and the related networks. “This is the biggest file of the mandate in financial terms, notes the president of the CCVM. The overall bill will reach 16 million euros including tax, which is twice as much as a project like the Cité des Horlogers.†To monitor this project, Villers-le-Lac elected official Pascal Rougnon was appointed delegated community advisor. The opening of the new recycling center and the reuse center in Bas-de-la-Chaux is the other big issue of this commission. An investment of 6.5 million shared with the Community of Communes of Plateau du Russey. The work already well underway must be completed at the end of this year. “The recycling center should be able to open this fall and the reuse center in 2027… annonce Cédric Bôle.
  Another project will be carried out during this new mandate: the solarization of certain public buildings such as gymnasiums using photovoltaic panels. The electricity produced will be intended for the self-consumption of these buildings and the surplus produced could be reinjected into other unequipped buildings such as the town hall for example. This investment program will be launched from 2027.
• Commission solidarités, culture et services à la population. This commission will be responsible in particular for coordinating the early childhood relay, continuing to anchor the cultural event Un Été O’Val, and coordinating the network of libraries in the area (with Mortuacienne Karine Romand elected community advisor delegated to follow these files).
  The same commission will also have to set up a heritage plan in conjunction with the Heritage Foundation which should make it possible to encourage owners to renovate their heritage. 900 potentially eligible buildings have already been identified. This file was entrusted to Marylène Rognon, elected official from Montlebon who also inherits the position of delegated community advisor. The development of a “Plan facades†on certain lines as well as a renovation program for what is called the “small heritage†(fountains, chapels…) is also planned for this mandate.
• General Administration, Finance and External Affairs Commission. A transversal commission which will monitor all files on a financial level. “Regarding all these issues, we remain very cautious in the current context, we will undoubtedly have to make choices during our mandate… do not fail to specify Cédric Bâle. This commission will include the experienced Mortuacian elected representative Pierre Vaufrey, who is beginning his fifth mandate, including four at the com’com where he also inherits the position of delegated community advisor responsible in particular for external relations with other partnership structures.