It was a budgetary point from the town hall of Forbach in Moselle which made it possible to discover the pot aux roses. It is clear that one or more people are happily using the pump. The gasoline consumption of municipal vehicles made available to its agents has in fact increased significantly at the start of 2023.
“The vehicles in our fleet usually consume 500 to 700 liters of fuel per week,” explains the town’s LR mayor, Alexandre Cassaro. It can be a little more during peaks of activity. […] But at the end of 2022, the beginning of 2023, during a budgetary review carried out with city executives, we noted abnormally high consumption, which doubled or even tripled,” he added, confirming information from the regional daily The Lorraine Republican. Also, the elected official launched an internal administrative investigation within his services and filed a complaint with the Sarreguemines public prosecutor’s office.
Damage estimated at 100,000 euros by the opposition
An investigation and a complaint, but also radical measures. The mayor quickly took measures to regulate the use of the thirty-seven gas cards his agents benefit from to refuel the sixty-four service vehicles. “We have centralized all fuel cards with a single dedicated person, and since this prudential system was put in place, fuel consumption has significantly decreased and returned to normal,” notes the elected official.
During an internal investigation, several agents were interviewed, which “made it possible to collect as much information as possible on the internal functioning which is now in the hands of the justice system”, he continued.
Pending the outcome of the investigation, the amount of financial damage for the city has not yet been determined but the municipal opposition estimates it at nearly 100,000 euros, according to The Lorraine Republican. For the moment, no agent has been sanctioned: “As long as we do not have the results of the investigation there cannot be disciplinary measures put in place,” stressed the mayor.