"Seeing people happy keeps you going": The mayor of one of the smallest villages in the Alpes-Maritimes reveals what would motivate him to run again in 2026

Municipal police officer in Villefranche-sur-Mer and mayor of Gars since 2008, Marino Cassez, 60, does not yet know if he will run again in the municipal elections of 2026. The fault lies with the future "parity list voting system" . The man who presides over the destiny of one of the smallest communes in the department, which has only around ninety souls in the summer and only thirty in the winter, still has plans for the village, including a micro hydroelectric power station.

You have been mayor for eighteen years, why did you want to become one?

Before, I had never held any office. One day, the former mayor, Odette Paillier, asked me to run, and then gave me a leg up. I learned on the job. At first, I was feeling my way a bit. Then, over time, I got the hang of it.

And what made you want to continue?

People! They asked me every time to represent myself! To do that, you have to love them. And seeing them happy inspires us to keep going.

What is the assessment since 2008?

We tried to develop tourism, renovate the entire housing stock, and improve relationships between people, hunters and non-hunters alike. As much as possible, we always tried to have a positive attitude with everyone.

Will you run again in 2026?

I haven't made a decision. I'm thinking about it.

What makes you hesitate?

The new law that extends the joint list voting system to municipalities with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants. This is the end of the mixed system. I don't understand.

Precisely, what is your opinion regarding the end of the mixing?

I thought the system we had before worked very well. The fact of crossing out names didn't shock me, quite the contrary. But, regarding parity... It will be more complicated. There are seven of us on the municipal council. With the new law, we could be five. That would mean there would be two women, two men, and the mayor. And if there are seven of us, it's three women, three men, and the mayor. In any case, if I leave, I would have to tell one or two councilors to resign to bring in two women. And are you sure you'll find them, these women, in small towns like that? And then, how do you decide who should leave, when they all volunteer to stay?

What is the place of Gars in the Pays de Grasse agglomeration (CAPG)?

I think it's important. Jérôme Viaud, its president, is right: when he gives to medium-sized or large municipalities, he automatically gives to small municipalities as well. And that's good.

What is your budget?

In operation, it costs around €250,000. But when we need to carry out work, we manage to obtain between 70 and 80% of the funding in subsidies, from the CAPG, the Department, the Region, and the State. For example, this has allowed us to renovate communal gîtes.

Lodgings that provide income and tourism...

Yes. We earn around 120 euros per weekend per gîte, and that allows us to attract people in the summer. Regarding tourism, we try to be consistent, but not to be overrun.

In 2023, Gars was hit by drought. Have solutions been anticipated to prevent future droughts?

Yes. A network has been created starting from Briançonnet with a pipe extending to Gars. The next step will be to bury the conduit.

Is climate change a phenomenon that you are particularly affected by?

Unfortunately, yes. My father-in-law, who lives in the village, has beehives. He's lost a lot of them in just a few years. He's a bit of a barometer.

Do you want to develop solar energy?

We are currently discussing with the Bâtiments de France (French Buildings Authority) whether we can authorize the installation of rooftop panels. However, there will be no ground-mounted photovoltaic panels.

One of the future flagship projects is the creation of a micro hydroelectric power station from the source.

We want to generate energy from the significant flow of the spring that runs through the village. For example, to reinject it into public lighting. Our dream would be for the plant to be built in 2026. But between the idea, the project, the subsidies, and the implementation, I think it will take a little longer. We are currently in the feasibility study phase.

Are you satisfied with public transport?

For a town like ours, yes. We have on-demand transportation. This allows people to go to Séranon, the medical center, or Saint-Auban.

What about fiber in Gars?

It was fired in the village, but it's not yet operational. It should finally be operational by the end of 2025 or the beginning of 2026...