At the center of the discussion in the Cuneo city council on the four resolutions of the “budget package” – which occurred yesterday evening (Tuesday 25 June) – was the spending review provided for by the 2024 Stability Law, which according to the councilor Valter Fantino it will weigh heavily on the city’s financial balance (currently still intact).
According to what Fantino also reported in the dedicated 1st commission last week, article 88 of the Stability Law provides for a general cut to be paid by local authorities of 200 million per year for the 2024-2028 year, which will then be distributed in proportion to expenditure current based on the 2022 reporting data (or on the latest approved statement). Clarifications on the distribution are now awaited.
The assembly then approved all four resolutions.
There is a clash between PD and Independents over the cuts
The councilors who attended – how Mario Di Vico (Growing Together) e Ugo Sturlese (Common Goods) – have made criticisms, even harsh ones, regarding the cuts. Like the PD group leader Claudia Carli: “The spending review, decided at a national level, puts not only the work of the councilor and the offices in difficulty, which I thank, but above all the success of the PNRR projects or at least will put it at serious risk. And it will have strong consequences on the availability of essential services in the most active and ready to intervene Municipalities”.
More critical however on the documents presented by the municipal administration Giancarlo Boselli (Independents), who considers it absurd to attribute all this weight to the cuts at the national level: “Before we express ourselves, let’s look at the math carefully – he said – . I don’t think that the lack of balance in the budget can really depend on these cuts, which according to some may not exceed 500 thousand euros for our administration. The expenses and lost revenues identified by your bad government are more serious and higher: these are indeed a danger”.
“You are passing off ordinary administration interventions as if they were of extraordinary weight, as if you were doing incredible things – added Boselli – it is absurd to show off on things that are the minimum of administrative activity. And try to limit yourselves with the presentations of changes to the budget, an activity that takes over the powers of the Council in favor of the board only: I understand the difficulties but do not go beyond a certain limit, the regulations allow in this case to act in a consequent manner”.
Manassero: “Reducing resources during the PNRR is a stab in the back”
In her speech the mayor Patrizia Manassero he recalled how the cuts made in the past and by other governments – specifically in the non-centre-right discussion like the current one – fell on a much broader base of resources than the current one: “Today the situation is blocked, there is no more room to increase revenue or reduce expenses much” he added.
“The maneuver that combines the cut with PNRR resources is, then, politically absurd – continued the mayor – . The money from the PNRR comes from some objectives achieved, installment by installment. Administrations will now have more difficulty completing them and requesting funds for their projects; we, for example, risk seeing the resources allocated to us reduced just a few steps from completing the project for the new library in Palazzo Santa Croce. What does it mean? A real stab in the back”.
