42 of the 147 municipalities placed under commissioners, due to failure to approve the budget forecast, are in the provinces of Agrigento, Caltanissetta and Enna. The General Secretary of the CISL Ag Cl En, Carmela Petralia and Salvatore Parello, General Secretary of the CISL Public Function Ag, Cl, En intervened on the decision taken by the Sicily Region. “This is certainly not good news for our territories because the financial planning tool allows municipalities to define the activities and prepare the services to be offered to their citizens over the three-year period. Nursery schools, social services and school canteens are at risk. The situation may become even more serious following the institutional reform on differentiated autonomy”. The Cislini managers point out that “the essential levels of performance (LEP) must be defined and financed which, together with the definition of costs and standard needs, will be able to give the certainty of having uniform levels throughout the national territory and be able to relaunch solidarity, equalisation, equal opportunities”.
“We are very worried – continue Petralia and Parello – because this commissionership adds to those other 68 municipalities in the three provinces, which are in pre- or financial distress with all that entails. It is clear that, in the historical moment in which we find ourselves, with resources from the PNNR and other community and national funds that must be programmed, committed and above all spent, the critical situation of local autonomies creates great discomfort. Failure to respect the deadlines for approving the budget also entails the suspension of ordinary transfers, with all due respect to investment policies which are the driving force of a community”.
In concluding Carmela Petralia and Salvatore Parello turn their gaze to the territories of central Sicily where critical issues add to emergencies. “Our internal areas cannot afford a halt in administrative activity, more than other municipal areas they need infrastructure, public services, certainty of times. They cannot damage their image or risk losing the trust, not only of citizens, but also of potential investors, compromising their ability to access financing. It is clear that if we want to guarantee a dignified future for the young generations we can no longer play with the efficiency of local autonomies”.
LIST OF MUNICIPAL COMMISSIONERS AG-CL-EN PROVINCES
Agrigento, Alessandria della Rocca, Aragon, Bivona, Calamonaci, Cammarata. Casteltermini, Cianciana, Comitini, Favara, Joppolo Giancaxio, Lampedusa and Linosa, Lucca Sicula, Montallegro, Porto Empedocle, Raffadali, Ravanusa, Realmonte, Ribera, San Biagio Platani, San Giovanni Gemini, Santa Elisabetta, Sciacca, Villafranca Sicula, Santa Margherita Belice , Acquaviva Platani, Caltanissetta, Campofranco, Delia, Marianopoli, Mazzarino, Montedoro, Mussomeli, Riesi, Serradifalco, Sommatino, Sutera, Nicosia, Nissoria, Pietraperzia, Valguarnera, Troina.
