Confirmation time. Within a few hours of each other, three outgoing mayors of the Tuscan-Umbrian Upper Tiber Valley have made their re-nomination official for the municipal elections on 8 and 9 June. They are Claudio Marcelli, Alfredo Romanelli and Enea Paladino. Let’s start with Claudio Marcelli of Pieve Santo Stefano, who communicated the news (certainly not as a surprise) on Easter evening with a video message to his fellow citizens. This is his second term as mayor, a position he has held since 2019, but for 19 years he was Albano Bragagni’s deputy. With the Covid-19 parenthesis out of the way, Marcelli wanted to highlight the results achieved recently with regards to Pnrr, the return to public use of the tower, the safety of the civic tower and the funding for the start of the restoration works of the former state road 3 bis north of Valsavignone. Then there is the recovery of the old oratory and the attention paid to certain services, see in particular the RSA, considered a real flagship. Also in light of these results, he and the supporting list (“Together for Pieve”) have decided to continue the journey together with a largely confirmed team. It remains to be seen who will be the candidate who will oppose him from the centre-left, not excluding the possibility that Guido Galletti will also be elected again.
On the same wavelength as Pieve is Monterchi, with Alfredo Romanelli who was elected for the first time in 2014 and who is now preparing to face the mandate-ter. “The reasons that led us to offer Romanelli the possibility of trying again are evident – writes Insieme per Monterchi, the group that supports him – and if the recent law decree has removed the term limits it is also because the bureaucratic and regulatory they are long and therefore a lot of time must pass to see projects, ideas and visions materialize; a good public administrator is not formed in a short time, but after years of hard commitment, dedication and application. In practice, in the same way as a professional practice.” Together with Monterchi he believes convincingly that Alfredo Romanelli is an honest and prepared administrator, expert and competent, with related ethical and moral skills. He recognizes his ability to transform reality, directing it towards the general interest; to exercise leadership politely and at the same time to be humble and obedient to the rules; to skillfully manage situations related to problem solving, managing to adapt to new, unprecedented situations in the interest of the community. “If we add to all this that the municipal management budget is solid, that the same forecast document for the current year maintains all services without tariff increases, that the surcharge is unchanged, that the funding intercepted for public works is of such consistency that they have no equal in the district, we must ask ourselves: why change?”, says Insieme per Monterchi. Also in this case, there will be a competing list (Viva Monterchi Viva again), but the name of the candidate is not yet known.
And finally we move to the Umbrian side. In Citerna, the outgoing mayor Aeneas Paladino he has definitively dissolved his reservation and will stand for a second term, with the intention of completing the important projects started also thanks to the many financing obtained. “After long and careful reflection – said Paladino – I have decided to accept the re-nomination that the majority group and the group of supporters unanimously proposed to me. Given this, I considered it a priority to engage with the population, to report on what was accomplished during the five years of mandate in the three territorial areas of Citerna, Pistrino and Fighille. Precisely in this phase of discussion, the will of the population itself forcefully emerged to see the same administration continue what has been started and complete the projects started. So I decided to run again, once again following the model of popular participation that was the basis of the past electoral campaign, clearly differentiating ourselves from other political formations that once again highlighted the interests and wishes of the parties. I thank the many who have confirmed their trust in me and I once again call together all the people of good will who have the good of our Municipality at heart and who believe in freedom”. Contrary to the cases of Pieve Santo Stefano and Monterchi, in Citerna the challenger has a name and surname: Alessandro Capacci, chosen by the centre-left. However, the candidacy of Eleonora Della Rina, indicated primarily by the centre-left as Paladino’s challenger, seems to be receding.
