Keeping the bills in order, paying on time, while trying to make some investment and trying to make Tavira a tourist town «all year round», are some of the goals assumed this Monday by Jorge Botelho, to be reinstated as president of the Tavirense autarchy.
After the swearing-in, which took place this Monday, continuity is the right word to use, after the conclusion of the last municipal bodies, little changes in the costumes of local authorities. The mayor is the same, he maintains the majority and José Baía also continues as president of the Municipal Assembly, accompanied by the same secretaries at the table.
As for the executive, there is more than a new face, especially José Estevens, who attempted the “assault” on the Tavira Chamber, coming from the neighboring municipality of Castro Marim, where he was the mayor, but ended up defeated in the elections. Yesterday, he was sworn in as opposition councilor.
“In this mandate, there are three essential vectors. First of all, something that I think nothing can be done without: municipal bills in order and payment on time. If we let this unbalance again, as it was, it will not go well», revealed to journalists Jorge Botelho, on the sidelines of the ceremony.
"My challenge is to continue to pay for 30 days or less, have the house spend less and less and free up money to make some investments and bet on social cohesion", he summed up.
Another priority vector are «municipal works» and Jorge Botelho gives the example of the place that hosted the Swearing-In ceremony, the Cine-teatro António Pinheiro. "We are waiting for it to open a line of support in the regional Operational Program for urban rehabilitation, to which we will apply for several projects", he revealed.
The road network will also be the target of intervention, since it is “very degraded, the result of years without any investment”. "We have already managed to release some funds for this and we will continue", he assured.
The third vector “is a very strong social component”, as well as “a strengthening of partnerships so that we can tackle some of the issues of poverty and social exclusion that the City Council alone cannot resolve”.
Another objective, closely linked to the candidacy of the Mediterranean Diet for World Heritage, which in Portugal has Tavira as a representative community, is to further boost tourism in Tavira, so that it can be extended throughout «the whole year».
The idea is to capitalize on "the enormous international projection" that this recognition by UNESCO, on which the organization will deliberate next December, will bring to the council.
At the center of the entire strategy, Jorge Botelho also guaranteed, will be the population “who will be called to interact again”, with the continuation of the Participatory Budget.
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