The elected representatives of the Chaumont municipal council met on Friday 9 June at the town hall. On the agenda only the election of delegates for the senate election on Sunday 24 September. Explanations.
In France, senators are elected by indirect elections. It is the voters who vote. The next senatorial election will take place on Sunday, September 24, and the municipal council of Chaumont, like everyone in Haute-Marne, should meet on Friday, June 9, to choose its delegates for these senatorial elections.
As a city of more than 10,000 inhabitants, all the municipal councilors in Chaumont, 35, are delegates with the right and without votes. On the other hand, those elected elsewhere and who collect more mandates are not. For the city prefecture, six advisers, also departmental advisers, are directly affected. They therefore had to propose a replacement for each of the senators, which Christine Guillemy, the mayor, accepted. Serge Brasseur, David Duterme, Guillaume Godin, Vincent Perrin, Marie-Catherine Fleurot and Jean-Claude Labache will replace Céline Brasseur, Karine Colombo, Paul Fournié, Gérard Groslambert, Catherine Pazdzior-Vigneron and Patrick Viard respectively.
Exact procedure for senators
Despite these facts, the City Council still had to vote on the senators. First, to elect the three additional delegates to which the town is entitled due to its association with Brottes, an associated municipality. Jacky Michaud, Noëlle Etienne and Arnaud Descorne fulfill this role. Then for the ten alternates who may be called in the absence of one of the delegates: Sophie Mugnier, Philip Viel, Béatrice Jehlé, Christian Boussard, Déborah Pelletier, Gérard Bocquillon, Nathalie Delamotte, Jean-Charles Berthier, Myriam Jaugey and John Paul Barbara. In total, the municipality had to choose 13 people.
In order to simplify the vote, the council decided to create only one list for the senators by mutual agreement with the municipal opposition. Thus, Lise Courtois agreed with Christine Guillemy to propose a joint list. “Without that, it would have been composed only of people associated with the majority,” the mayor said. Thus, only one list was presented. To respect procedure, even if there was no tension, the vote would still have to be by secret ballot and not by a show of hands. A rigor that makes elected officials smile, as the procedure complicates the process.
Yet no one dared to comment, as the council was to take place without debate. Again, it’s all about the procedure. Another important point: the list must be voted as it is, without being shuffled. The chosen could therefore neither add nor remove a name or even change the order on the list. However, Sylvain Demay, from the list “Lutte Ouvrière – Make the labor camp heard”, did not hide his invalid vote and ostentatiously displayed his empty envelope. In the end, no surprise, with 32 votes cast and one zero vote, the list of additional delegates and alternates is accepted.
Laura Spaeter
l.spaeter@jhm.fr
Newly arrived
This municipal council was also the occasion to install Alexis Franz, new municipal council member in the majority, replacing Nelly Boussard, after his death. “I wish I had gone in under different circumstances.” He introduced himself in a few words. At 34, he is a customer adviser in insurance after having served in the military. He is a native of Chaumont and practices English boxing. Initially, and at least until September, he will be part of the same commissions as Nelly Boussard.
Thoughts for Annecy and its families
Christine Guillemy wanted to have “a thought for the city of Annecy and its innocent victims.” A minute’s silence was marked by the entire room at the start of the municipal council meeting.
