Rogério Bacalhau was reelected in Faro with an absolute majority and plans abound to take advantage of it. The mayor of the Algarve capital has already made known what are his priorities for the new mandate, which include extensive interventions in the riverside and in the city centre, but also the creation of “98 new social housing units”.
The new term of Rogério Bacalhau as president of the Chamber of Faro officially began yesterday, October 11, during the inauguration ceremony of those elected to the municipal bodies of Faro, which took place at Teatro das Figuras.
The session, which was not even expected to have a great story, it ended up being marked by the election of socialist Luís Graça as president of the Municipal Assembly of Faro, after the list presented by the coalition Faro in Rumo Certo (PSD/CDS-PP/MPT/PPM), which proposed Cristóvão Norte, to have had only 13 votes, when there are 14 municipal deputies in the coalition led by the Social Democrats.
This situation, which visibly bothered those elected by the PSD, was not mentioned by Rogério Bacalhau in his Inaugural Address. Even so, the Farense mayor did not stop sending barbs to socialists – in this case, those who make up the Government.
«Last year, the PS Government tried to interfere with the elections in the Municipality of Faro. Suddenly, the doors closed for us, they stopped answering our phone calls and not answering our missives», he accused.
A situation that, he believes, will change with the end of the electoral period. In fact, this resumption of good relations with the central government is fundamental to Rogério Bacalhau's plans for the next four years.
“We have some big projects, which the Government needs to be convinced to move forward with. I'm talking about the riverfront, which you have to take from the Ribeirinho Park to the Doca de Faro, the dock itself and the Commercial Pier, all of which are issues that greatly affect the municipality», he told journalists, on the sidelines of the inauguration session.
“With these three revitalized areas, the council would be totally different”, he defended.
Although these are areas protected by the Government, the Chamber of Faro it will “try to influence, presenting projects and helping to decide”.
With regard to measures that can be taken directly by the autarchy, Rogério Bacalhau highlights the continuation of the program Faro Requalifica, whose 3rd phase will last until the end of 2017 and will know "a 4th phase, to be launched in early 2018".
In addition to the rehabilitation of the road network, the object of most of the works carried out within the scope of successive programs launched by the municipality, there is the intention of making bicycle paths «from the city to Praia de Faro and also between Faro and Olhão, a project that is being carried out in coordination with Águas do Algarve».
But the great work, «which should take more than a mandate», is the requalification that the current executive wants to do on Avenida da República, «from Largo de São Francisco to CP Station, or even to Teatro das Figuras ».
“This is a big project that will take some time to develop and then implement. The idea is to re-qualify the entire area, which over the decades had small interventions and today has no coherence, no comfort, no attractiveness, but which ends up being the county's shop window», he explained.
Another flag will be the plan «Faro Accessible», something that the Farense mayor guarantees wanting to implement. “We have an aging population and mobility in the municipality, particularly in the city, is becoming difficult, due to poorly placed signs and crosswalks and because of sidewalks that have absolutely no comfort”, he illustrated.
Furthermore, when betting on a municipality of Faro more accessible, the Chamber wants to make the Algarve capital “an international reference in this area, as there is a tourist niche with people with reduced mobility who choose to go where they find it easier to move”.
Rogério Bacalhau also announced his intention to build more social housing units, a need he considers urgent, since this "is, nowadays, a complicated area".
«We have three lands where it is possible to build another 98 fireworks, with an architectural project already done. We are going to advance on these lands, two of which on Estrada Nossa Senhora da Saúde, close to the cost-controlled housing district, and a third in Alto de Santo António», he said.
Despite the many ideas and intentions, Rogério Bacalhau guaranteed that his executive will not follow the path he started to follow in 2009, at a time when the president of the Chamber was still Macário Correia.
“Rigorous accounts and careful management are to be maintained. (…) Our intention is to consolidate the financial recovery of the municipality», said the mayor of Faro.
Faro took possession with many firsts
Rogério Bacalhau, the president, and Paulo Santos, his deputy, remained. For the rest, all the councilors who took office yesterday in Faro are new faces. Also unique is the presence of a PAN deputy at the Municipal Assembly of Faro.
In the Chamber, the coalition Faro in Rumo Certo, which won the elections with an absolute majority, it also includes councilors Sophie Matias, Adriano Guerra and Carlos Baía. On the PS side, four councilors took office: António Eusébio, Dália Paulo, Carlos Sengo da Costa and Carlos Gordinho.
The session that took place yesterday at Teatro das Figuras also served to swear in the elected members of the Municipal Assembly. In this case, the coalition led by the PSD saw the swearing in of 12 elements that were part of its list, the most voted in the elections, and two council presidents (Montenegro and Faro – Cathedral and Saint Peter).
On the PS side, 11 directly elected municipal deputies and a council president (Conceição and Estoi) took office.
The CDU elected two elements on its lists and also has a third deputy in this body, the president of the Parish Council of Santa Bárbara de Nexe. Also the Left Block and the PAN, a first, are represented by one municipal deputy each.
Photos: Hugo Rodrigues|Sul Informação
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