REGGIO CALABRIA – «A budget that was not born today, but is the result of previous ones, of many years of hard planning work, and which starts from the 2014 choice not to ask for the breakdownby a new political class, a decisive choice that had more questions than answers.
A trust that we felt in those years on the part of the national government, with discussions together with the state accountants to bring attention to essential measures for the survival of the Institution.
It all started from there, over the years – continued the mayor – the actions were partly slowed down by the sentences of the Constitutional Court on national legislation, until it was understood that the municipalities needed to be given not only the time, but also the resources”.
So the mayor Giuseppe Falcomatà in his speech to the city council for the approval of the 2024/2026 budget, during which he preliminarily thanked all those who contributed to the creation of the document.
«I thank all the majorities that have followed one another in recent years, the councillors, the managers, the president Cuzzocrea who earned confirmation in the Budget Commission in the field.
Someone defined it as a courageous choice – the mayor specified – to be made with the heart, the only possible strength, an internal strength of mind. Then it’s easy to have courage when you’re on the other side, a safety distance from those choices that imply having courage.”
The mayor then receives the first data relating to the notice for the concessions on the Tari presented yesterday by the Administration at Palazzo San Giorgio: «Already this morning, in two hours from the opening of the applications, 77 have arrived. Evidently the signal that this communication is reached the citizens positive.
The problems are not solved, it is a caress that gives relief, it does not change the economy of the month, but it makes clear the closeness of the Administration, not deaf to the instances of citizens.
The desire is to improve with the Dup, we go to help the families who more than others have had to endure the plan rebalancing. This year the Administration invests around 45 million euros per year on welfare.
Regarding the Tari, however, it must be added that the Calabria Region has increased the cost of contributions by 3 million euros only for the Municipality of Reggio dump, in total silence and after the metropolitan city returned the delegations for the assignment to it. Why have costs increased for 2024?” the first Citizen asked.
«It has not yet been highlighted enough that approximately 30 million euros of old mortgages were allocated to the redevelopment of arterial roads.
This is a concrete answer that clearly states that we don’t just forecast the sums for cover the holesbut that these funds are invested to completely redo the roads – clarified Falcomatà
And then the increase in Castore di six million euros for maintenance activities. In October 2012 the company started with almost two million euros of debt, in recent years there has been a progressive increase in resources.
Regarding Castore, I would like to remind you that, in the next few weeks, the water service, both in terms of maintenance, concession and billing, will pass to the Region with Sorical. Castor had one million and 300 thousand eurosif the objective is to maintain these funds on other interventions we will still be able to reach break even”.
The mayor specified that «The planned investments are not a carryover of those foreseen in the previous budget, the investments already made are approximately 64 million euros that is, 367% more than in 2022, in which fixed cash investments were around 16. It is the best answer because it means that money has been injected into the city’s economy.
We need to do more on amnesty, but for updated data on collection there are improvements.
Perhaps there is starting to be a habit among citizens of being up to date with taxes and it is a very positive sign. In 2014 the average times of payment they were 216 days, now we are at 37. It is clear that planning brings results over time. From this point of view, the Administration must look from when it exists until the next few years.”
Addressing the opposition councilors, the mayor specified: «If I were you I would be worried about the shortcomings that exist for the bridge over the Strait, which will delay the start of the works. The Ministry of the Environment he pointed out that this is a project lacking prerequisites, constraints that must be in place before starting the construction site”.
Falcomatà then anticipated some of the next events scheduled for the municipal administration: the presentation of Atam electric buses during Earth Day the electric buses will be presented, we have recently presented the Housing Agency, we will present the Youth Agency, and then we remember the synergy implemented for the works on the municipal lido, and finally the restyling on the seafront which will concern not only the roadway and sidewalks in the upper part, but also the care of the arboreal heritage”.
A final passage he highlighted concerned i Fus calls which «allow administrations to plan one or more events outside the perimeter of the historic center. From the ministry – explains the mayor – an official asked us not to use those funds for events in Piazza del Popolo because it would be too close to the historic centre.
Instead, it is a popular and populous neighborhoodwhere the market is located, where there are many commercial activities, an area with various public housing developments from which, instead, citizens ask to increase cultural activities: we will respond in kind to this act of war perpetrated against of the city”.
At the end of his speech, the mayor then quoted a phrase from the mayor of Florence Giorgio La Pira «who claimed that “There is a spring preparing in this apparent winter”. We still can’t see many things, but the work and planning of these 10 years is bearing fruit.”
THE VOTE ON THE FORECAST BUDGET
The City Council of Reggio Calabria approved the budget forecast today 2024-2026.
The city meeting, meeting on second call, started the work with the interventions of the budget councilor, Domenico Battaglia and the manager of the Finance Sector, Francesco Consiglio, who illustrated the technical aspects of the accounting document. After a brief interruption during the simultaneous presence in the city of the Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi, the works resumed with the interventions of the majority and opposition councilors and, finally, of the Mayor Giuseppe Falcomatà.
Three agendas proposed by the League group were subsequently unanimously approved. The first two were presented by the councillor Antonino Minicuci.
With the first, the Northern League councilors referred to the contribution on the Tari foreseen for some categories of citizens and foreseen in the budget, for a total amount equal to one million euros and a maximum percentage of 25% of the tribute. According to the councilors who signed the agenda, “the amount established is very low, insufficient for people in difficulty”.
For this reason, the councilors invited the mayor and the council «to provide for an increase in the percentage per 50% of the taxdoubling the available amount, should the revenue from taxes and those from the fight against tax evasion increase compared to those foreseen in the budget”.
With the second agenda, however, the League councilors asked to provide for an increase in the amount foreseen for interventions for those at risk of social exclusion, program 1204, «if the revenue for taxes this year were to reach a significant increase».
The third agenda approved unanimously, again proposed by the League group, was presented by the group leader Giuseppe De Biasthe.
With the approval of this agenda, the amount of the external service allowance of the Local Police of Reggio Calabria was increased to ten euros per day, providing for the amount of 12 euros when the service is carried out on night shifts and/or holidays, “as happens in all the other capital cities of the Metropolitan City”.
Finally, we proceeded to vote on the budget estimate approved by the Council with 16 votes in favor and 11 against.
Tags: city council Reggio Calabria approves budget forecast
