It was a year dominated by the response to the pandemic, with the City of São Brás de Alportel redirecting around half a million euros of its budget to measures to prevent the disease and support the population. Along the way, the municipality helped local commerce, concluded works in progress and even launched some new ones, which were not even planned.
The São Brasense municipal executive took stock of his third year in office, in a session that took place last week at Parque das Amendoeiras, next to Avenida da Liberdade, in the center of the village.
And, as expected, this was a year with two very distinct parts: the pre and post Covid-19.
The first two months of the year were normal, with the autarchy's attention focused on the execution of the Municipal Budget.
However, the arrival of the pandemic forced a reassessment of existing plans.
"We had to increase our capacity to respond in social terms to some citizens, in terms of support either for food, basic necessities, or medical consultations, and we had to also reorganize the direct support we give to the population, namely to the elderly», said Vítor Guerreiro, mayor of São Brás de Alportel, on the sidelines of the session.
The older residents of São Brás de Alportel also received «more constant visits from our social teams, not only to take food, but above all to bring, also, a word of tranquility, of company, to those who are more isolated, who don't have family members here».
This special attention to the elderly population that lives in isolation was also linked to the fact that one of the first measures taken by the municipality was the suppression of “Vir à Vila”, a public transport service that serves the most isolated areas of the municipality, what it was only recently resumed.
“So that older people wouldn't circulate, we ended this transport. So we had to increase the presence of the City Council's social services with these people and that was fundamental», summed up the São Brasense mayor.
On the other hand, the Chamber guaranteed direct support to the population, both in terms of foodstuffs and shopping vouchers that could be used in local businesses to shop for, for example, school material or products for babies.
Along the way, support for leasing was reinforced and a new program in the area of housing aimed at younger people.
«We had to increase a lot for small works in homes for people who need, school equipment, etc.», summarized the mayor of São Brás.
These concerns proved to be especially pertinent in light of the inclusion of São Brás de Alportel in the list of 121 councils that are since yesterday in partial confinement, due to the prevalence of Covid-19 cases.
A situation that took São Brás de Alportel by surprise and that makes local entrepreneurs fear the worst.
To finance all these measures was created the Municipal Emergency Fund, endowed with half a million euros, which was used to finance the Municipal Strategy to Combat Covid-19, «composed of more than 50 measures distributed in three lines of action: Priority to prevention; Solidarity – Support to Families and the Community and Defense of the Economy».
And if this year it was necessary to endow the fund with 500 thousand euros, in 2021 Vítor Guerreiro admits to allocating even more money to measures related to the pandemic.
“Next year we are aware that we have to start with half a million euros and we will have to increase. And we are aware that the priority at the moment is for people to have the minimum conditions," he said.
“We know that all this will get worse, too, with dismissal situations. There are families that are beginning to have great difficulties in paying their financial commitments».
"We have to reorganize the council's services to respond, we don't want to, we've always said this in our council, there can't be anyone suffering from hunger, difficulties, housing without the minimum of conditions, lack of basic necessities and this is something that is a priority for us, more than any other investment», stressed Vítor Guerreiro.
Currently, the City Council of São Brás de Alportel is already “supporting many families. And if we have to increase, we have to increase, we have to have the funds to create these conditions».
«We have to be prepared for what is to come. And what comes next, above all, is to try to keep the economy running and socially support those who need it most. We are aware that it will be a very difficult end of term», added the São Brasense mayor.
However, and despite the fact that the Chamber has invested heavily in combating the social consequences of Covid-19, it has continued to advance with works already planned, such as the new Bus Terminal, the removal of fiber cement from schools and the requalification of the South Section of Avenida da Liberdade, but also some that should only advance later, such as the one underway at central section of this last artery.
«Not this work, we hadn't thought of doing it. It was necessary, but it wasn't something we were going to move forward yet. We thought about doing it now because it is also important and it has been a very interesting dynamic», said Vítor Guerreiro.
This is because the workers of the companies responsible for the works end up contributing to the local economy. On the other hand, the companies that carry them out are local or from neighboring municipalities, “which have many workers here in São Brás”.
Thus, believes Vítor Guerreiro, continuing to invest in these works, the vast majority with co-financing from European Union Funds already guaranteed, is a way to help local businesses, while supporting the maintenance of jobs.
Photos: Hugo Rodrigues | Sul Informação
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