«We awakened the city, it needed investments»

«It’s true, we need to reflect and improve. But we have never risked bringing the budget into deficit.” And now? “We need to work more on revenue.” In 2023 Palazzo dei Priori spent 1.7 million more than it collected: councilor Elena Angiani confirms this, however framing the situation from a more general perspective, after the alarm raised by the dem Alvaro Ricci and the Northern League member Andrea Micci.

Here’s the other side of the coin. «The administrative result is generally largely positive – says Angiani – because it is more than 109 million. The negativity is on the income statement and not on the financial one, which is certainly an element to think about because it gives us an algebraic measure of how much the administration spent in relation to how much it collected”. That is, «in 2023 we collected less than we spent. However, the budget is largely in balance because the surplus is applied and the contributions come in: we have never risked going into deficit, absolutely.” The fact remains that «we need to reflect, we need to improve. We need to work more on revenue and assessments, because we are still a bit low. Or we have to spend less, but it is desirable to collect more instead.”

Common spendthrift? Not according to the councilor. «The 2023 expenses were made – he explains – because the city needed them. We revitalized it, for example, by having a big Christmas, where several hundred thousand euros went away. But it was necessary. We spent on mowing the grass, in short they were responses to the needs of the city. Certainly in 2024 and in the years to come we will have to work more on revenue.” This is the picture in this regard: «We still have collections that are not exceptional: Viterbo has historically had difficulties in this regard. This is demonstrated by the provision for doubtful debts, which is still considerable: in total they are around 46 million euros. Almost half of the funds set aside are of doubtful collectability: among all the resources set aside, it amounts to 45%. Of course it wasn’t created in 2023 but it was formed over the years. Here too we need to work and we are doing it.”

On the tax front, in 2023 the collections were «in line with those of municipalities comparable to Viterbo. Spontaneous collection is 80%, after reminders another 5% is recovered. However, we are a little low on fines: the collection is around 50% of the assessments made.” Then there are other items, such as urban planning practices. «A lot of money has always come from here. We don’t have significant income because we have politically chosen not to build more than what already exists – he comments – and instead focus on renovations. We could have granted other volumes which would have brought us money.” The thinning of the case? «It’s not due to bad administration but due to the advances we had to make for the Pnrr works: we go to reporting, so the Municipality first advances the funds, then takes them back. It’s an aspect that doesn’t worry us at all. Mortgage amortization in 2025? They were recontracted, with deferred installments and slightly reduced interest rates. We did it – concludes Angiani – also because the derivatives will expire in 2026 and we will not have that exit”.

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