Contribution to a redefinition of the financial autonomy of local authorities and councils

L’autonomie financière des collectivités territoriales, supposée protéger leur libre administration, est aujourd’hui fondée sur la nature de leurs ressources. Plus la part des ressources propres dans l’ensemble de leurs ressources est importante, plus grande est leur autonomie financière. Cette conception ne protège pourtant pas leur libre administration qui se manifeste avant tout au travers de leur liberté d’agir. Cetteliberté s’illustre dans la capacité qu’ont les collectivités à engager des dépenses propres. Or, les ressources propres sont en partie mobilisées pour financer des dépenses imposées. Cette étude propose d’envisager un renversement du paradigme en fondant l’autonomiefinancière des collectivités territoriales désormais sur la nature de leurs dépenses. Cette proposition entend approfondir une réflexion de Georges Vedel jusqu’ici ignorée, qui suggérait l’établissement d’un ratio entre les dépenses qui s’imposent aux collectivités et celles qu’elles décident librement.The financial autonomy of local and regional authorities, which is supposed to protect their free administration, is currently based on the nature of their resources. The greater the share of their own resources in their total resources, the greater their financial autonomy. This conception does not, however, protect their free administration, which manifests itself above all through their freedom to act according to their needs and priorities. This freedom of administration is the ability for local authorities to decide exactly what they want to spend upon. However, their own resources are being partly used to fund State-imposed expenditure. This study will discuss a reversal of the current conception, by basing the financial autonomy of local authorities on the nature of their expenditure instead. We intend to deepen a reflection by Georges Vedel hitherto ignored, who suggested establishing a ratio between the expenses that are imposed onlocal authorities, against those they are at liberty to choose