The «affirmation of the identity of Lagos as a city of historical and heritage wealth» is one of the four priorities of the Municipal Budget for the year 2016, together with the «restraint and rigor in the municipality's accounts», the implementation of the second edition of the Participatory Budget and the improvement of means of communication, revealed Maria Joaquina Matos, mayor of Lagos, a municipality that today marks its municipal holiday.
In statements to the Sul Informação, the mayor pointed out that, as news for next year, with regard to Heritage, the project for the expansion of the Dr. José Formosinho Municipal Museum, which will now pass through the narrow street to have a new wing, in the former premises of the Public Security Police.
This new wing, revealed the mayor, will be “entirely dedicated to Archeology”, promising “in addition to a greater dignification of our ancestors, a new look at this aspect of our history”.
An important part of the Museum, the St. Anthony Church, a Baroque jewel, has already been the target of extensive restoration and requalification work. But now, the intention is to make the archeology sector autonomous, creating a new wing dedicated to the important treasures kept in Lagos and thus freeing up space in the current installations, for themes such as Ethnography, but not only. It will be the first major remodeling of the Lagos Museum in decades.
Joaquina Matos adds that, still in this aspect of the commitment to Heritage, the requalification of public spaces and buildings will have special attention in the next year, thus integrating the ongoing works in the Lagos Cultural Center, which has been, and will continue to be, the target of structural interventions and requalification of interior spaces, «which will greatly dignify this equipment of reference and prominence in the cultural elevation of our county».
Also the so-called building Slave Market is undergoing structural and content requalification, and its reopening to the public is expected in early 2016.
According to the executive, «Lagos is intended to assert its position on the Discoveries route, both nationally and internationally, of which it was pioneers, creating here a valuable market niche – historical tourism» .
The Budget proposal and the Great Plan Options (GOP) for 2016, in the global amount of 46 051 185 euros, were already approved at a Chamber meeting on October 21st and will now be submitted for consideration and approval by the Municipal Assembly.
Another innovation put forward by the Mayor of Lagos is that, next year, the call will be reclassified Roundabout of the Caravel, located at one of the entrances to the city. The fountain that decorates this roundabout has been stopped for years, due to various breakdowns and the high cost of repairs, but Joaquina Matos guarantees that, with the investment of 300 thousand euros, «we're going to put that caravel underway».
Also with regard to accessibility, the mayor announced, in her statements to the Sul Informação, which will advance the redevelopment of the road between Quatro Estradas, where the new roundabout on the EN125, at the exit of the Lagos bypass, and the village of light. «This is a road that has not undergone any renovation for many years, although it even serves as one of the most important tourist areas in the county», Praia da Luz.
The renovation works on the road between Odiáxere and Mud Valley, as well as several streets in Odiaxere, Baron of St. John e bensafrim.
As to Participatory budgeting, in addition to the Câmara de Lagos plan for 2016 contemplating the three investments that were the most voted in the first edition of the OP, next year the OP will be discussed and voted again, which will even increase the total budget to 200 thousand euros.
This year, the connection to the sanitation network (Cova da Zorra area) in Odiáxere, the acquisition of a Community Intervention Vehicle and the construction of a cemetery for pets in Lagos were the three winning ideas, now included in municipal investments for 2016. «The discussion of the Participatory Budget was very lively and good ideas resulted, so we launched it again», explained Joaquina Matos.
Other investments in several areas are the requalification of School nº3 of the 1st Cycle of Lagos, the replacement of the sanitation and water networks of the Workers' Quarter, the acquisition of two new vehicles to the trash, from a backhoe and still of a bus for school transport.
In 2015, the municipal executive defined a policy to ensure the sustainability, quality and solidarity in the municipality of Lagos. According to the mayor, “the consolidation of this policy is our aim for 2016. The challenges are permanent and the uncertainties remain many, however, the rigor and responsibility with which we look at the day-to-day battles they have allowed us to balance our financial situation and have put us back on the right path».
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