In 2023, 44 cases were handled by the ombudsman of the Municipality of Modena, the lawyer Patrizia Roli, which required the opening of an investigation to be resolved. In several cases, faced with reports, meeting and dialogue constituted an indispensable premise to help people better understand the rules and provisions in force.
The annual activity of the ombudsman (which operates thanks to the agreement stipulated with the Province for the joint use of the service) was summarized in a report sent to the Presidency of the Modena City Council. At the beginning, the document recalls that the ombudsman institution has the aim of supporting citizens residing in the Modena area and in the province, highlighting situations that would not often find other methods of protection. This is done by reporting, even on one’s own initiative, abuses, dysfunctions, deficiencies and delays of the administration towards people. At the same time, it is also his task to urge and help the Administration in its institutional commitment, namely to guarantee the implementation of the constitutional principles of good performance, impartiality and transparency.
The report then places emphasis on the need to further promote the activity of the ombudsman among citizens, with communication campaigns in the institution’s institutional channels and also by meeting school groups to address constitutional and civic education issues. Furthermore, to strengthen and expand the service, it is suggested to activate a desk dedicated to foreigners on civic defense issues and a video chat channel to allow citizens to communicate in real time.
In detail of the activity carried out in 2023, three cases relating to administrative sanctions required the need for an investigation (one relating to waste disposal, the other for IMU assessments: both correct; while the out-of-date notification of a fine); other investigations, however, involved soliciting responses from citizens (then obtained) from bodies such as Arpae or Anas. In other cases, the lawyer’s intervention made it possible to open a channel of dialogue with the sectors of the Municipality (as in the case of a discussion with a citizen on the topic of safety around the Saliceto Panaro school area). In other investigations, the intervention of the ombudsman made it possible to better clarify some procedures as in the case, for example, of a small town, regarding an Acer accommodation change.
The territorial ombudsman can be contacted through the secretariat, by telephone (number 059-2032455) or by writing to the email address [email protected], also to arrange an appointment at the Town Hall. All citizens, individual or associated, of the municipal territory who need to report abuses, dysfunctions, deficiencies and delays attributable to the Administration can contact this figure. The office acts to prevent disputes or possible dysfunctions by facilitating the right of access to documents and the active participation of citizens in the proceedings that involve them.
The defender takes charge of the request, evaluating it on its merits and then, if necessary, prepares the case with the request for information and discussion, oral or written, with the organisation’s offices. Once the necessary information has been obtained, the defender responds to the citizen, orally or in writing, and, at the same time, sends the mayor and the general secretary a report of any anomalies found.
