José Carlos Rolo thinks that “it's always worth it” to participate. Lucélia Monteiro, António Colaço, Cidália Gonçalves, Maria de Jesus Vieira and Jorge Leal and the other residents of Albufeira who have already submitted proposals to the Participatory Budget of Albufeira feel the same.
Albufeira City Council dedicated yesterday afternoon to Participatory Budgeting (OP). In addition to presenting the results of this year's edition of this process, which gives the population the power to choose the destination of part of the budget from the Municipal Budget, the autarchy took the opportunity to inaugurate interventions that won previous editions of the initiative.
The winning projects of the 2020 OP Albufeira are the installation of public fountains in the parishes of Albufeira and Olhos de Água, the redevelopment of the area surrounding the Polidesportivo de Ferreiras, the redevelopment of the Fonte da Guia picnic area and the creation of an area of leisure in Paderne.
The fact that there are four projects supported is due to an important innovation introduced this year. «In previous editions, the value was for the entire municipality. This year, we decided to accede to the demands of some people, including the presidents of the Boards, who would like to see a Participatory Budget model in which the amount is divided among the parishes, so that everyone has the opportunity to have a winning project. , explained Ana Pifaro, deputy mayor of Albufeira.
In other words, the 250 thousand euros were divided by the four parishes of the county, in equal parts, of 62,5 euros each.
“This way, the population of each parish can organize themselves and the process gets closer to the people. It may even be that, in the future, this will motivate more participation," he told the Sul Informação José Carlos Rolo, president of the Chamber.
For the Albufeirense mayor, it would be important for there to be greater mobilization of the population and for more people to adhere to the PB, since «civic participation is always useful and very important».
“There are things that the executive doesn't remember, that end up arriving through other people and in a pleasant way of participation. And there are projects that bring some innovation», considered José António Rolo.
«It is to continue. We can change a few things, try to call people. Hence my appeal for people to participate more,” he added.
Isabel, António and Ana Maria have already participated and had the joy of seeing their proposals come true.
These are the proponents of the OP works that were inaugurated yesterday, chosen in the 2016 and 2017 editions.
One of the interventions, which won the 2016 OP – the second edition, which was voted on in 2015 – was the requalification of the Polidesportivo da Guia, an investment of 54,5 thousand euros proposed by Ana Maria.
Here, seven posts were created where stands can be installed during the events that are promoted in this sports field. The entire space was also revamped, namely the bathrooms.
The proposals that won the 2017 OP were also inaugurated yesterday. At issue in this case are the Play Parks of Vale Navio and Falésia, a 53 project proposed by Isabel Carvalho, and the redevelopment of Estrada dos Salgados, a project suggested by António Antunes and costing 57 euros.
In the first case, Isabel Carvalho proposed the requalification of the two spaces “so that families could have a space for leisure and socializing. I didn't know any, except for one that exists in Guia. These places were half abandoned and the intervention gave them a good face. I am pleased to see that people have been using the space».
The intervention consisted of the refurbishment of the picnic tables already existing in these places, as well as the installation of grills and fitness equipment. The fences were also fixed. Both locations also have tables that indicate the risk of fire.
«What was tried was to make the use that the space had more adequate. There were already in these informal picnic park locations. What was done was to transform this informality into spaces with all the conditions. And they have been used a lot,” said Paula Custódio, an engineer and senior technician at the Albufeira Council.
António Antunes, on the other hand, proposed the redevelopment of the Estrada dos Salgados. Here, public lighting was improved, sidewalks were created on both sides of the road and the installation of elevated walkways, which also act as humps.
«The Chamber implemented this project in an attempt to make people participate in an active and democratic way in what are the choices we want for our municipality», said Ana Pífaro.
Since 2014, the first year in which there was a PB, the amount placed in the Budget for this process has been increasing. Currently, and for the third consecutive time, the budget is 250 thousand euros. "This will allow that, when the works of the 2018 and 2019 editions are finished, we will be able to see large-scale interventions, a little different from what has been done so far."
Even so, very emblematic works advanced, such as the Animal Welfare Center, «a project that, in addition to being the first carried out under the PB, marked a paradigm shift in what was the treatment of this issue. ».
José Carlos Rolo, on the other hand, admitted that "the amount can be increased and there will be more money to distribute among the four parishes, if justified."
Photos: Hugo Rodrigues|Sul Informação
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