Increases in sight, once again, for the Tari. The city council has approved the financial plan of Nord Milano Ambiente, the company owned by the municipality, which deals with waste collection and disposal. According to the municipality, the financial plan includes coverage of the costs of the urban hygiene service, which for the year 2024 is 10.7 million euros. A figure that has increased by approximately 200 thousand euros compared to 2023 in relation to the inflation adjustment (equal to 5%) and the increase in disposal and conferral costs, a problem that is found at a national level. While the cost of the service has remained unchanged and is among the lowest of the municipalities of North Milan.
Separate waste collection increased by 2%, reaching 61%. The amount of abandoned waste increased from 600 thousand kg to 300 thousand kg, thanks to increased controls. 450 thousand euros were recovered from tax evasion.
The overall increase in cost will lead to a 2% adjustment of the Tari. The balanced distribution between domestic and non-domestic users achieved in recent years will remain unchanged. Just as it was decided to keep the coefficients between the fixed and variable parts at a minimum. The three Tari payment installments in April, July and September have been confirmed.
According to the Democratic Party, the financial plan should be rejected. Nord Milano Ambiente is an “old company that needs to be reorganized, no longer able to sustain the market at low costs but that passes on all its inefficiencies and the resulting diseconomies of scale to the citizens of Cinisello Balsamo”, says the main opposition force.
The financial plan – according to the opposition – amounts to around 10 million which turn into costs to be recovered among Cinisellese users with a constant percentage of unpaid amounts of between 25-30%. A percentage of separate waste collection that has essentially been at a standstill for several years and an increasingly obsolete fleet of vehicles despite periodic replacements.
“The Tari has always increased in the years of Ghilardi’s administration and there will be further increases in 2024 – says PD councilor Luca Ghezzi – the problem is the total lack of control on the part of the political bodies: despite the commitment and professionalism that must be recognized For many workers, the high percentage of absenteeism which is close to 20% for over 28 thousand hours not worked, out of a potential of 145 thousand hours in total, while the workforce has always grown over the years, is of concern. And even the 2024 quarter shows no sign of improvement, as 6,500 hours of absenteeism have already been exceeded.”
For six years there has been no trace of any new strategy on the part of this administration aimed at reducing costs and consequent improvement of the financial plan which does not translate into an improvement in service. No proposal to apply the punctual tariff as per the commitment made in previous years, not even a study on the matter. The Democrats say.
And the city is increasingly dirty, neglect of greenery is spreading and even what in the past was taken care of by Nord Milano Ambiente, today is left in disarray. “The conditions of widespread degradation and neglect in which the city finds itself certify the shortcomings of the Ghilardi Administration, in government for 6 years” declares Alberto Galli, Democratic councilor, “The citizens of Cinisello Balsamo are tired of this situation continuing and are asking for concrete actions to improve the appearance of our city, never as degraded as in recent years. A 360° change is necessary because we can no longer wait for the promises of a council incapable of making plans, ready only to parade and take credit for everything that comes from afar and that in these years has come to an end” – urges councilor Galli.
“The company must be rethought and reorganized, taking advantage of positive synergies with other organizations in the sector that in the past have already shown interest and advanced partnership logics with our reality. The administration must help Nord Milano Ambiente to grow and improve its work instead, during his first term, the mayor thought of appointing the provincial secretary of Fratelli d’Italia Sandro Sisler as sole director of the company, who then went to parliament, leaving the company in the conditions we see today! No idea, no planning ability, neither from those who manage the environment, nor from those who manage the corporate part. All the projects carried out in the past have been abandoned, without a real motivation, without a real alternative but with a general incapacity to manage the company and above all the city” – concludes councilor Ghezzi.
