Putting L'Averdy's municipal reforms into action in Tours (1764-1771)

Among the municipal reforms, L'Averdy's one is remarkable for its aim: stan dardising the constitutions of the French towns. The official texts of 1764 and 1765 have for main purpose to force town councils to care more about l ocal finances. In exchange, towns get back the electoral freedom they were deprived of during the first decades of the century- a freedom however stil l largely under control of the central government. In Tours, the reforms were implemented swiftly and without major problem. T he instructions of the government were sometimes even complemented by munic ipal orders. Up to its abandonment in 1771, the municipal institutions work ed in close agreement with official requirements. However, because people l ocally did not act completely fairly, the goals of the "controle general de s finances" were not fulfilled.