Town Halls of France
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The history of Town Halls and their Lord Mayors
Town Halls and Lord Mayors before the Revolution to the Present
- The first Mayors appear before the Revolution in the XIth century. The mayors were named : consultants, magistratesor peers. The origin of the French word Maire is the word maior which became major in English, they administrated the villages for the count of the Lords.
- Louis XIV decided in 1692 by a Royal Precription to impose a representative and to sell this function to fill the Royal Coffers. The administration of the commons stayed this way until the French Revolution. The first Republic organized the election of the Mayors by direct suffrage, fixing the condition that the Mayors paid a tax which corresponded to 10 days of work. The right to participate in the elections of a Mayor was taxed on the basis of 3 work days.
- After the Revolution in 1799 a new Constitution imposed that the Mayors could no longer be elected by the citizens, but would be named by the Prefect of the Department, who represented the State. This anti democratic power was implied during the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Republic.
- It was only on 4th of March 1882, that the population retrieved the right to choose in a democratic way their Mayor. A new law, which is still in practice, was put in place for the election of Mayors by universal suffrage. Paris remained an exception and could not vote for its Mayor until 1977.
- Between 1940 and 1944 the Mayors and also the population are deprived of this democratical right. The State and the Prefects take back the control of all the localities. Marchal Ptain, who does not have the status of President of the Republic, leads the French State and collaborates with the Nazis and founds the system of Vichy. This system remains the most murderous in our history, millions of French people gave their lives to regain freedom and to protect human rights without distinction of Race or ethnic group.
This internet site is dedicated to
Maurice GRANDCOING executed in Paris on the 11th of August 1942 at the age of 31 by the SS Sturmbahnfuhrer Laubl, because he was one of the people responsable for the printing of leaflets and clandestine newspapers against the Germans.
- After the war, the law of 4th March 1982 on the organisation of Town Halls was again reinstated and democracy reclaimed its rights (except for Paris). The Mayor and his deputies on the town Council were again elected what be the importance of the ditrict. The Mayor is elected for six years which can be renewed. The fonction of Mayor can only be carried out by a French citizen. He is assisted by one or more deputies also elected by the County Council.
- The Mayors are both Agents of the State and Agents of the Community. They execute the deliberations of the District Council but dispose of important power of decision, for urbanism, local Police forces and also Municipam employees.
General Council in Conseil-General.com 1999/2013