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Among the pile of controversial issues that have arisen since the beginning of the term of office in March 2022, the relocation of schools from Gustavia to Saint-Jean is undoubtedly one of those that has been at the center of the most questions and protests. This is because the initial project, launched in 2021 under the presidency of Bruno Magras, was abandoned in January 2023 by the now defunct majority led by Xavier Lédée. And because it took more than a year and a half for a new version of the project to see the light of day, after much procrastination. A veritable political and budgetary soap opera which, President Lédée assures us, will come to an end in 2026.
Indeed, during the territorial council meeting held on Thursday, February 19, during which elected officials debated the content of the budgetary guidelines report, Xavier Lédée announced: "The school project will enter its construction phase this year. " In fact, a budget of €8 million is expected to be included in the initial 2026 budget to begin the work. Prior to this year, "only" €395,706 had been allocated to the project, whose total cost has been estimated at €28 million. The construction period is expected to last five years.
However, before the construction phase can begin, the Saint-Jean site will need to be cleared. Purchased for €10 million under the presidency of Bruno Magras, the plot behind the stadium road has been used since the initial project was abandoned as a car park and also as a storage area for equipment, machinery, and fill material by various companies.
For the record, it was on November 4, 2021, that the first architectural competition was launched by the local authority. On January 4, 2023, the executive council of the new presidency officially announced the winner of the project management competition for the construction of the new school complex. However, a few days later, on January 17, the elected members of the same executive council voted to abandon the project. The only exceptions were Romaric Magras (then leader of the Saint-Barth d'Abord group) and Alexandra Questel. On August 28, 2024, after a stormy general committee meeting during which the elected officials learned that all the procedures were null and void and had to be restarted, the executive council approved the organization of a new competition. In the meantime, President Lédée had raised the idea of developing a new project, but on a different site. The land purchased for ten million euros under Bruno Magras's presidency was now only intended to accommodate a car park and a skate park.
Cultural center: a relaunch in 2026?
Another issue that never fails to provoke some heated reactions when it is mentioned is that of the future cultural center and its 139-space parking lot in Gustavia. Construction has been at a standstill for more than two years. At the Territorial Council meeting on February 19, Councilor Fabrice Querrard indicated that the local authority is "working to find a solution to resume work before the end of the year." Nothing has been done, therefore. In 2025, €5 million was earmarked to finance the work. The suspension of this mandate was ratified at the Territorial Council meeting on October 23, 2025. In 2026, a budget of €7 million is expected to be allocated to the project, for which more than €6.6 million has already been committed. Estimated at €22.6 million in March 2022, the total cost of constructing the cultural center and parking lot now stands at more than €31 million.
There are many reasons for the delays on the construction site, which began under the previous administration. First, Xavier Ledee and his elected officials decided to halt work at the beginning of their term in order to review the project. In particular, it was decided to integrate the territorial library into the structure. Then, "technical" problems arose. "This project was not well planned initially and there are adjustments to be made, particularly with regard to runoff water management, which was not optimized or sufficient," President Lédée told the JSB in February 2025 (JSB 1603). A hydrology study was to be launched in 2025. In addition, a company that had been awarded part of the contract encountered some administrative difficulties. This prevented the progress of plans for the foundations, which were to be laid in March last year. In the end, the Collectivité was forced to reissue a call for tenders in 2025 to award the contract lots. Finally, the latest episode involves the discovery of a supposed risk of rockfalls on the land overlooking the construction site. This land does not belong to the Collectivité.
In addition, during the territorial council meeting on February 19, the presence of private companies occupying the vacant lot at the Gustavia construction site was mentioned. This occupation and these activities have been reported and denounced on several occasions to the Collectivité's services, in particular by other companies on the island specializing in construction. During the session, Xavier Lédée stated that the Collectivité had not issued "any authorization" allowing these companies to occupy the land and that they "had been contacted." The president also explained that the cost of securing the private site where the supposedly dangerous rocks are located is estimated at one million euros. This cost will be borne by the owner. This is yet another complication for the cultural center. In any case, Xavier Lédée confirmed that construction will resume before the end of the year. Initially, the cultural center and its parking lot were scheduled to be completed in 2028.
The budgetary policy debate in brief
December 31 concert: "The Collectivité can afford it"
Unsurprisingly, when it came to budgetary issues, the expenses incurred by the Collectivité to organize the December 31 evening were mentioned. Clearly well prepared, President Lédée was able to present his arguments. "The Collectivity can afford it," he assured, highlighting the "astronomical sums" (nearly $600,000) but for which "we must look at the reality on the ground." Xavier Lédée elaborated: "Let's draw a parallel with someone who earns €3,000 per month, so their annual income is €36,000. If we compare their income to that of the Collectivité and do the same for the December 31 concert, it's as if this person had spent €200 on their December 31 (...) We can debate the artists, but we need to keep this ratio in mind to understand what we're talking about and look at the reality on the ground." He comes to the following conclusion: "Spending the equivalent of €200 on the Collectivité's New Year's Eve celebrations and making the population happy is something that can be understood." That's a good point.
The CTTSB budget under fire
While two of the three elected representatives of the Collectivité's satellite organizations remained silent during the February 19 territorial council meeting (Melissa Lake did not speak about the budget of the Multiprofessional Economic Chamber, and Marie-Angèle Aubin was absent and therefore did not speak about the Territorial Environment Agency), Alexandra Questel, president of the Tourism Committee, had to face questions from her peers. These mainly concerned the reasons why the budget requested by the CTTSB is on the rise (from €1.3 million in 2025 to nearly €1.9 million in 2026). Councilors Maxime Desouches, Marie-Hélène Bernier, and Pascale Minarro Baudoin successively took the floor to demand explanations. As is often the case, Maxime Desouches stepped forward with a detailed analysis of the Committee's budget. He referred to an operating section of €748,000 (actually €665,033 according to the budget presented by the CTTSB to elected officials), which includes a payroll of €501,829 for eight employees (not five, as indicated during the territorial council meeting) and external fees (administrative, lawyers, service providers, etc.), an investment budget of €195,000 and a "promotion, communication and outreach" budget of €1.142 million. "A subsidy of €1.89 million for an island that no longer needs to be promoted but better managed and maintained is unreasonable," said Maxime Desouches. Needless to say, Alexandra Questel responded, with the support of the deputy director of the CTTSB, Narcisse Dupré. The Committee Chair emphasized that her goal is to regain control of the island's image abroad. "Our mission is to better distribute tourist flows throughout the year, provide better information about what there is to do in Saint Barth, and promote the island's values," she said. Alexandra Questel emphasized that the CTTSB's goal is to promote the island's "riches" outside of the festive periods and circuits. "Our island has so much more to offer," she said. "We had to redefine everything within the CTTSB," said Narcisse Dupré. In short, several visions of what the Committee's missions should be were debated at length. It now remains to be seen whether the CTTSB's budget will be approved when the initial budget is voted on in March.
Those disappointed with the mandate
When they took the floor, several elected officials made critical observations about the budgetary guidelines and governance. Francius Matignon, executive advisor and distant member of Saint-Barth d'Abord, highlighted the increase in spending and the decrease in the closing surplus (91.7 million in 2025 compared to 105 in 2024). He noted the 29% increase in fees and consulting costs, the 42% increase in the budget for celebrations and ceremonies, and the lack of a "concrete plan" to build a new central kitchen or housing in Gustavia on the Elie Rosey site.
Dimitri Lédée, from the Action-Équilibre group, said: "We haven't made much progress. Urban planning, transportation, all that takes time, okay. That's why a term of office lasts five years. We have failed. The DOBs follow one another and are all alike. There is a lot of talk, little action (...) We are continuing with a bad development policy."
Alexandra Questel, leader of Saint-Barth d'Abord, envisions "an island where education is a priority," along with health and respect for the environment. She also points to the lack of plans for a school cafeteria and the accumulated delays in major projects (schools, cultural center, disability center). "What we are asking for, basically, is simple," she says. "Clear priorities, deadlines that are met, and respect for those who live here."
A contested position
Marie-Hélène Bernier, first vice president, once again raised the issue of the position held in the president's office by her former colleague. She has not worked with this colleague since he filed a report against her for moral harassment at the end of 2023. During the administrative investigation, which concluded that the reported incidents did not constitute psychological harassment, the colleague was integrated into the president's office. He has remained in this position ever since. However, Marie-Hélène Bernier states: "I questioned the Guadeloupe management center, which was very clear in its written response: any position filled must be subject to deliberation." She notes that "no deliberation created a position for a second chief of staff to the president or a deputy chief of staff to the president." In response to these remarks, Xavier Lédée replied during the session: "The whole world has been seized with this issue, and so far no one has told me that I cannot keep Benjamin Vigneron or pay his salary. If the courts consider that there is a problem, I will readjust. We are not going to reopen the debate."
Twinning with Saint Thomas: a signing on March 10?
During the February 19 territorial council meeting, the topic of twinning with Saint Thomas (U.S. Virgin Islands) came up in discussions among elected officials. This gave President Lédée the opportunity to clarify that an official trip to Saint Thomas had recently been canceled "for transportation reasons" but had been rescheduled for March 10. Despite a ministerial visit announced for March 9, Xavier Lédée revealed. "Everyone is eager to finalize this twinning and get it started," said the elected official, who at the same time indicated that he did not intend to cancel the trip, even if the ministerial visit is confirmed. As a reminder, an association called Saint-Barth des Amis de Saint-Thomas has officially been created on the island (see JSB 1653). Its president, Vianney Blanchard, will of course be part of the trip on March 10.
