The 2023 final budget of the Municipality of Viareggio was approved today, with 13 votes in favor and 8 against: “A solid, prudent and strong budget – said the mayor Giorgio Del Ghingaro in his speech – which allows us to make investments, and to move well on large-area tables”.
“An act – continues the mayor – which was ready for weeks and for which we received the detailed documents in due time. However ithe councilor of the Bonaceto List, objected, with an email to the prefecture, that he could not have read the auditors’ report, otherwise positive, but arrived only 18 days earlier than the expected 20. So we approve the budget today: and I imagine everyone will have had the opportunity to study.”
Also approved budget change which reapplies the surplus from the 2023 final balance sheet, equal to almost 23 million euros, of which 13 are tied and 9 are free. To the works already financed, 1 million and 600 thousand euros were added for work on the sports facilities.
The mayor then reeled off the numbers of the main items: an administrative result of 142 million and 855 thousand euroswith a prudential provision for the doubtful debt fund amounting to 91 million which guarantees maximum peace of mind.
“But we have 15 million also set aside for liquidity advances fund: since 2015, for 9 years since I have proudly been mayor of this city, we have never benefited from cash advances and that is, we have never gone into the red in the treasury – underlined the mayor – where we currently have 68 million of our own money”.
And then the litigation fund amounting to 7 million and 683 thousand euros, which the board of auditors defined as “congruent with the value of the potential debt”.
Active residues: the OSL has returned approximately 34 million in active residues, which have been registered among those of the organization and each manager will then evaluate the actual adequacy.
THE mortgages: the revolving fund granted to close the crisis was paid in 2023. In recent days, another inherited mortgage was closed because it was not convenient due to the interest applied.
“The institution is not only not in debt – specified the mayor – but it is positive, because it has a significant cash fund and has significantly reduced its mortgage debt hired by previous administrations. This budget is so armored that we can invest the surpluses from previous budgets, equal to approximately, in the territory in public works 100 million euros”.
The mayor also made a reference to the ongoing lawsuit with the bankrupt Viareggio Patrimonio: “We have theoretically, I underline, an unsecured debt to the bankrupt company Viareggio Patrimonio. But we also have much higher credit, which is largely privileged. For non-experts this means that we have the certainty of collecting, but not yet the obligation to pay, at least until the necessary compensations and checks are made. We have not accepted any transactions because that debt includes around fifteen other equally responsible subjects, therefore, eventually, each creditor will have to assume responsibility for the amount owed”.
Finally the rates: “We will not approve the TARI because we have analyzed Ato’s PEF, we are looking into it, we have seen that increases are foreseen which in our opinion are not correct, and therefore we have written to the director of the ATO, to the president of RetiAmbiente and to the Administrator of Sea Ambiente. We will look into these aspects in depth at the next Council, in the meantime I hope that the ATO will identify the concrete elements of congruity which in our opinion are not currently there”.
“The numbers, unfortunately or fortunately, cannot be questioned – concludes the mayor Giorgio Del Ghingaro -. This is a budget that we should be proud of because we didn’t make it, but the citizens of Viareggio did it.”
