Politics
Paris Residents Vote on Canal Saint-Martin Funding Plan for Two Districts
The guide explains ballot options for measures that would set annual contributions from households and businesses along the canal toward maintenance and access upgrades.
How we reported this
The City of Paris issued its referendum guide on 7 July 2026 for an October ballot on Canal Saint Martin funding measures. Residents in the 10th and 11th arrondissements will decide on two proposals that set contribution levels for upkeep of the waterway and adjacent paths.
Background on timing and scope
National legislation passed in 2025 expanded the use of local referendums for infrastructure decisions in urban districts. Paris officials applied the rules to Canal Saint Martin because the waterway crosses two arrondissements and requires coordinated upkeep funded partly through resident levies. The guide, published by the Paris municipal elections office, lists the exact contribution amounts tied to each option and the services each would cover.
Policy analysts at the Paris urban planning department note that one measure would raise the annual household contribution by 12 euros while the second would raise it by 28 euros. Both figures appear in the 2026 budget annex released last month, which projects total collections of 1.4 million euros from the affected postcodes if the higher option passes.
Effects on residents and services
Local advocates note that the lower contribution would maintain current dredging schedules and basic path repairs. The higher amount would add evening lighting along the canal towpath and expanded waste collection points at the locks near Rue de Lancry. Small business owners along Quai de Jemmapes have told community meetings that either change would affect their operating costs through the business levy component listed in the guide.
The legislation states that contributions appear on the 2027 property tax notice for addresses within 400 metres of the canal. Residents outside that zone would see no direct change. The guide also explains how voters can submit written questions to the elections office before the September information sessions scheduled at the mairie of the 10th arrondissement.
Voting occurs on 12 October 2026 at polling stations already used for municipal elections. Results will determine the contribution level applied from January 2027 onward, according to the timeline published in the referendum guide.