The Municipality of Monchique approved, by majority vote, the Municipal Budget for 2019 with an amount of more than 22,3 million euros. This value corresponds to an increase of 51,5% compared to the budget for the year 2018.
According to the municipality, who saw the document approved with the abstention of the PS councilors, "this is a budget that reflects the intense work and rigor in municipal management in recent years, as well as in the preparation of physical and financial conditions for the implementation of projects more structuring for the county and that, for the most part, are able to start during this year».
The budget for 2018 is, says the Municipality of Monchique, «supported by concrete projects, which meet the needs of the municipality and which are fundamental for its socio-economic development, presenting a sufficient degree of maturity to make this a year. of many achievements'.
The document, which will be submitted, during the month of December, to the Municipal Assembly for vote, «has already been submitted to the participation of the chairmen of the Parish Councils as well as the parliamentary groups that make up the Municipal Assembly in two sessions of conference of leaders» , not only “to fulfill the right of opposition but to make it a richer and more participative document by integrating the contributions of all”.
In the 2019 budget, Monchique continues to bet “on its population-friendly fiscal policy, with the lowest IMI rate in the country and a positive differentiation for large families”.
In addition, Monchiquenses continue to benefit, in terms of IRS, from the return of 2,5% of the municipal contribution.
The executive guarantees that it continues to put "people in first place with a wide range of support and direct measures that are differentiating" and that they "intend to establish more and more young people, while unconditionally supporting the older population with the continuity of the implementation of its Gerontological Plan with proposals for the active and healthy aging of the population».
The Municipality of Monchique says it has "achieved a financial consolidation that allows the presentation of a document that continues to reduce debt while dedicating a large percentage of its value to the investment" and that, therefore, "this will be a year of many achievements and that will be guided by the continuity of investment in solving the years of delay that the council had when this executive took office».
The executive recalls that «at the end of 2009 Monchique still had areas, even close to urban agglomerations, without water supply and basic sanitation» and that, throughout the county, «the sewage was not treated and were routed to the water lines . An inconceivable situation, which is the result of an investment of around 10 million euros, belongs only to that past».
Also in terms of investment, highlights the Municipality, «this budget, in addition to being associated with a period of reconstruction of the mountain, where it is intended to implement an economic and environmental reorganization plan, assumes as a commitment to the implementation of structuring projects in the areas of the environment. , with emphasis on the emerging measures for the protection of water resources and post-fire stabilization this summer, in addition to the investments in terms of prevention, which have been frequent in recent years in the municipal budget, and now there is a necessary reinforcement according to the candidacies submitted to the PDR 2020 and to the Environmental Fund».
These investments, "budgeted at more than 3 million euros, will be used to carry out emergency stabilization measures both for prevention and implementation of fuel interruption strips (FIC) and cleaning of water lines and circulation routes" .
One of the projects included in this document is the construction of the new Center for Air Resources and Civil Protection, the subject of an application to the Interreg Spain-Portugal Cooperation Program (POCTEP 2014-2020), in the amount of 1,3 million euros.
In addition to this investment in the area of Civil Protection, the Chamber of Monchique also highlights “the unconditional support to the local Fire Brigade and other partnerships with various entities in terms of prevention and forest surveillance”.
Despite the fires this summer, Monchique wants to assert itself "as a tourist destination, in terms of culture, gastronomy, nature and health and well-being", and to "quickly overcome this calamity" will put forward an action plan "in articulation with RTA, ATA and other partners that, among others, intend to develop strategies to promote and enhance the June tourist resources of strategic markets».
The main priority in the Grandes Options approved by the municipality is “to proceed with the works supported by community funds, and also the start of structural works such as the Business Reception Area, which only awaits opinions from entities that have been consulted”.
In terms of education, the executive has «the objective of starting with the recovery of the EB 2,3 Manuel do Nascimento school, in an investment of around 4 million euros, and the rehabilitation of the EB 1 School in Marmelete, in the parish where other investments will also be made, with emphasis on the municipal swimming pool and the creation of housing conditions through the sale of lots for self-construction».
The budget will also give “attention to the social area, through support to the municipal network of Private Institutions of Social Solidarity which, in conjunction with the Health area, intend to continue to affirm Monchique as a healthy Municipality, even with the beginning of the operation of a Mobile Unit. of Health acquired by the municipality'.
According to the municipality, "this year it will be possible to carry out large-scale works that will significantly contribute to boosting the local economy, strengthening social cohesion, and improving the population's quality of life."
The municipality also highlights, «within the scope of the development of the local economy and job creation, the construction of industrial infrastructure to further leverage the local business fabric and continue to attract national and foreign investments, with a view to strengthening the work of promotion and enhancement of endogenous products, and the creation of new dynamics associated with agribusiness and short circuits, projects that are intended to boost with the Business Center that will function as a nest of StartUps».
The Municipality of Monchique considers that "this will be, without a doubt, one of the most important budgets in recent years".
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