City council last night in Modica. Those who thought that the session would be deserted due to the coincidence of the national football team match were disappointed.
There are 4 points on the agenda, two of which are very weighty because they concerned two transactions for past debts, from 2014 onwards, with primary energy supply companies, or banks that took over the debt.
In short, a Council with a heavy atmosphere, because when it comes to debts, there is always a feeling of unease even among the councillors. A debt, in particular, on which this newspaper has intervened several times is that with the BFF Bank and the Municipality of Modica, the interest recognized by the Municipality is close to capital.
Before discussing the topics on the agenda, among the communications were the resignation as president of the 4th commission by councilor Civello and the request for urgent intervention by councilor Armenia in the Quartarella area both for the completion of the lighting and the restoration of the road surface in light of the latest road accident a few weeks ago.
This was then followed by a question, again by councilor Civello, regarding the study commission on the Statute and municipal regulations, the subject of a motion and discussed in several group leaders’ meetings.
Then for the record, the council dealt with the four points on the agenda. The first two, Assignment of the Municipal Treasury Service and Budget Changes, were approved unanimously by those present. The last two (Eni Gas e Luce and Banca BFF transaction) with the favorable vote of the majority councilors and the abstention of the opposition representatives.
On the question of debts, the small ones (1.2 million) and the large ones (13 million of which 6.7 million in interest), see our previous article read here, the discussion was not particularly lively, in fact there was a state of mind of resignation, of helpless impotence, tending more towards the exercise of climbing on mirrors, not to mention, perhaps one’s own free thought.
The debate in the classroom
The budget councilor began, having been called into question several times, who tried to argue that the transaction between BFF and the Municipality, all things considered, is an opportunity because it puts an end to a dispute that has dragged on for years.
But to the question, asked by many parties, both from the majority and the opposition benches, why these bills were not paid, no one was able to answer or wanted to answer. Therefore a debt without ownership.
Apart from some interventions on the legal level formulated by the councilors, Armenia, Borrometi, Aurnia, then in the end, all, have not expressed criticism towards the past administrations, aware of having inherited, despite themselves, a heavy legacy. Councilor Spadaro of the Democratic Party reiterated the concept that Enel could be paid without getting into litigation because the funds had been assigned to the Municipality by the central state.
Even the heartfelt official defense of the councilor Paolo Nigro, did not contribute to solving the mystery of the failure to pay debts to Enel. Nigro, in his long speech, revoked the past and his historical memory to lend a hand to the current administration which objectively is in difficulty due to this sea of debts that are arriving on the Mayor’s table. Nigro essentially argued that the debts have always been there, the transactions have always been made and in the end, by hook or by crook, the money to pay was found. Of course, he argued, approved budgets are needed to have the necessary coverage, otherwise you won’t go anywhere and you risk not meeting some instalments.
The intervention of the councilor lawyer seemed to us to be punctual, regarding the transaction between the Municipality and BFF, that of the 13 million or more. Elena Frasca, who highlighted what was written in the transaction on page 6. For Frasca there is a passage that could represent a danger for the Municipality in the event, after the verification of the first year’s payments, all the commitments were not fulfilled hired. In that case the transaction would fail and would put the Municipality in a position to cover the entire debt. Therefore, said Councilor Frasca, maximum vigilance on the part of the Administration is necessary. There was also no shortage of appeals to the opposition to share common paths and overcome together a season of certainly not easy budgets.
No regrets, no words for the citizens
The common denominator of the councilors’ interventions was: we have no choice, we have to pay, we have to close this dispute.
But in our opinion, the emotional involvement of the councilors towards the citizens was certainly lacking. No one who said, I’m sorry, I regret, I’m desolate, I think of the poor citizens, of those who haven’t received their salary for months, of the Modicans who were penalized twice: from the awareness that many things could be done with the interest sum and then from the fact that they will pay this sum. These Modicans deserved a word of sympathy.
Without saying that no one has said anything about the responsibilities of the past, not even a hint, all catechised to give more or less watered down versions. Not to mention that the few councilors of the old majorities were careful not to intervene in the debate.
And to be honest, we also understood the embarrassment of the mayor, Mrs. Maria Monisteri, who with Solomonic consideration declared “we are like a company, we must move forward and also collect the legacy of our predecessors and manage it well and in the bad. We’ll make it. I trust”.
There remains only one consideration, unfortunately a sad one, which this city does not deserve: who carries on their conscience the weight of this debt which at the time could have been paid and therefore avoided? Who has the weight of this rubbish transaction on their conscience which involves an enormous amount of interest that will have to be paid. Who will answer for all this?
