Français
A sense of déjà vu. That was the impression left by the territorial council meeting held on Thursday, December 24. In the deliberation chamber of the Collectivité’s headquarters, despite an agenda that seemed unlikely to spark heated debates, some of the elected officials nevertheless managed to rekindle a taste of the toxic atmosphere that has marked many sessions since the beginning of the term. Nevertheless, the exchanges—however heated they may have been—led to the adoption of the ten resolutions on the agenda. First among them was the one concerning the organization of the Christmas Village.
A Higher Budget
Sylvère Gréaux (Saint-Barth d’Abord) questioned the increase in the event’s budget. The council member noted that it had been 120,000 euros when it was first established by the Tourism Committee, whereas it will cost 165,000 euros this year. Bettina Cointre (Action-Équilibre), chair of the culture committee, then explained that a musical group “has a higher budget,” as do security services, a new children’s activity, and waste management. The increase in the budget for communications, festivals, and ceremonies was also discussed. Since this budget now stands at 3.6 million euros, Alexandra Questel (Saint-Barth d’Abord) asked to see the breakdown. Her request was denied.
Eight Months of Work
Regarding the Multi-Year Contract for Objectives and Resources (CPOM) for the Louis Vialenc nursing home, the elected officials unanimously approved the resolution. “We’ve been working on the territorial plan for supporting the elderly for eight months,” emphasized Melissa Lake (Unis pour Saint-Barthélemy). “We’re working on prevention, on disability…” The councilwoman from the presidential group was then asked about the following three points: an amendment to the traffic code, consisting primarily of a name change for ATVs; a modification to the regulations governing the road transport of passengers and goods; and authorization to launch a pilot program for the organization of passenger transport.
Renaming the ATV Before Banning It
Regarding the first point, a lengthy debate ensued on the subject of quads and their ban on the roads starting in 2030—a measure already approved by elected officials in 2025. Dimitri Lédée (Action-Équilibre), speaking through Bettina Cointre, reiterated his lack of understanding regarding this ban. “Replacing quads without a real mobility solution—such as public transportation, not just a shuttle—does not strike me as a brilliant idea. If the only argument put forward is that they’re dangerous, are we going to ban scooters and motorcycles based on that same criterion?” ” The debate drags on but does not concern the subject of today’s resolution, which is simply a change in the official name of the quad in the texts. With ten votes “for,” five “against,” and three abstentions, the resolution is adopted. The same goes for the next item, which deals with amendments to road transport regulations.
This item primarily concerns the training and profession of taxi drivers. Mélissa Lake discusses the details of this meticulous work at length before it is adopted by a majority vote.
Improving Mobility on the Island
The next item: the launch of a pilot program for passenger transportation. A project “unanimously approved at the CEM general assembly,” emphasizes Mélissa Lake, who highlights the value of the pilot program, which aims to improve mobility on the island. “The proposed pilot program is structured around five key areas,” explains the elected official: increasing the number of temporary licenses, implementing an experimental fare structure, updating transportation regulations, rolling out a single booking system, and managing service gaps. ” The pilot will last for one year. “There is demand from taxi drivers, who have specific needs and have been very vocal,” the elected official asserts. “They want to see these regulations change. The CEM has done a lot of work.” The resolution was adopted by a majority vote. The tone of the debates then shifted fairly quickly.
The Shuttle at the Heart of the Dispute
The review of the traditional budget amendment quickly plunges the assembly into a much more contentious atmosphere, particularly between President Xavier Lédée and Alexandra Questel. During her remarks, the elected official went out of her way to point out delays in certain projects—such as the cultural center—and other expenditures she considers excessive. “Every time I see the hole in Gustavia, I tell myself that it’s the very result of this term in office—a project that hasn’t moved forward,” she said, before questioning the decision to invest an additional 1.2 million euros in expanding the shuttle service without first analyzing the results of the test phase. This is only to be expected, since the trial period did not end until the day before the council meeting, on September 23.
Although absent but still represented by Bettina Cointre, Dimitri Lédée, for his part, regrets that the mobility plan he and Jonas Brin devised at the start of their term—"a sustainable system designed to last"—was not followed through. “The solution ultimately chosen was to roll out the shuttle without any prior infrastructure development, with planning that I consider to have been compromised by the political and electoral objectives of certain individuals,” he explains. Despite her efforts to tout the merits of a service still in its early stages, Mélissa Lake faces criticism over the operation’s costs. Tensions rise during an exchange with Alexandra Questel, and then Xavier Lédée raises his voice, clearly annoyed by the questions posed by the leader of Saint-Barth d’Abord. A heated exchange barely tempered by Rudi Laplace’s measured intervention, as the president then began bickering with his first vice president, Marie-Hélène Bernier. In the end, the resolution was adopted by a majority vote. The same was true for the next resolution concerning the revision of program authorizations (AP/CP) and commitment authorizations (AE/CP). As for the last three (Write-off of uncollectible and extinguished receivables for fiscal year 2026; Updating the depreciation schedule for fixed assets and the terms for the recovery of investment grants received; Authorization for the president to sign a settlement agreement regarding the reimbursement of compensation for two employees assigned to the Mireille Choisy School), these were passed unanimously.
