Conceição Cabrita will not re-apply for the position of mayor of Vila Real de Santo António, announced the mayor in a publication on the social network Facebook.
«(…) I need to tell you that I decided not to re-candidate for mayor in the next term. I keep in me moments of great pride in the work I have done, of many friendships that I have created along the way and of many positive results», reads the publication, which is also a balance of the work developed by Conceição cabrita as a mayor in VRSA.
This decision comes after a year of 2020 in which «everything we knew as normal became the most difficult moment for the whole world».
And it was professional reasons, but also personal, that led her to make the decision.
“I feel deep inside that this is not the time to lower my arms, but it is the time to be present in the lives of others and, above all, in my life,” he explained.
"This last term, in which I was the helmsman of this municipality for the first time, was very laborious, with many difficulties to overcome and many serious problems to overcome, in one of the municipalities with the most difficulties in our country", he stated.
Despite stressing that she did not give up her arms "at any time", in view of the difficulties caused by the pandemic, Conceição Cabrita does not hide from this mandate "many moments of fatigue, frustration, impotence, inability to help those in need a little more".
On the other hand, there is the “absence of home, family, friends and, with a lot of pain and longing in my heart, the loss of my father”.
“In the coming months, which will be the last of these four years as president, I will continue to work with the same sense of mission, responsibility, commitment and respect for everyone and, above all, for those who elected me on October 1, 2017 and that they trusted in my work and in my humanity”, assured the still president of the Chamber of VRSA.
“This is an announcement of non-continuity in municipal mandates but it is not yet a farewell. There is still a lot to do and I still gather all my strength for now, in the immediate term, to fight with all of you against this pandemic that will not take our smiles away and, in our stubbornness as human beings, one day we will still live in each other's embraces », concluded Conceição Cabrita.
Conceição Cabrita's announcement in full:
Dear Citizens, Collaborators, Friends and Family,
We live in times of a lot of pressure, sadness, little normality and a lot of apprehension with an increasingly uncertain future. In recent months, like many people around the world, I have been forced to review not my principles, but the way they relate to work, commitments, the sense of mission and life as it now goes.
We all came to the conclusion, and not just me, that affections, being more human, our awareness of finitude, being in the family, being a person in addition to the profession we perform, become our highest priorities.
I have been working for almost 16 years in the Municipality and for the Municipality of Vila Real de Santo António.
Many days spent waking up and falling asleep with the council's commitments being the first and last thoughts. At no time did I lower my arms before the many adversities, battles and difficulties that the positions of councilor, vice president and president brought with them. At all times I felt the duty of a mission accomplished.
I dare to describe my nearly four terms as mandates of great humanity. I never forgot anyone, I never turned my back on anyone who asked me for help and I always did it because I was close to everyone who worked with me and shared my battles and victories. They also saw me cry and get emotional in the darkest and most difficult days.
I have grown a lot in the last fifteen years as a woman, as a professional, as a friend and as a family member of those who have always loved me.
Humility has always been my line of conduct, without ever abandoning it, not even when I became the first woman mayor of Vila Real de Santo António. And it is in this humility that I need to tell you that I decided not to run for mayor in the next term.
I keep in me moments of great pride in the work done, many friendships that I created along the way and many positive results. However, this last term, in which for the first time I was the helmsman of this municipality, was very laborious, with many difficulties to overcome and many serious problems to overcome, in one of the most difficult municipalities in our country.
Accompanied by my executive and the presidents of the parish councils of Vila Real de Santo António and Monte Gordo, who have always been unsurpassed in their work, dedication and support, I am very proud of everything that, despite the many adversities, we managed to achieve.
We arrived at this mandate with projects, dreams and goals to achieve, but all of them were replaced by this executive's greatest commitment: the financial recovery of the Municipality.
Aware that it was a mandate spent most of the time in meetings and work groups, and less on the street with our residents, I am sure that we did a great job.
In almost four years we have worked and achieved, among other things:
– Maintain social support for the elderly and disadvantaged;
– Remain in quality education in all schools under our responsibility;
– Requalify the beach of Monte Gordo and the gardens next to it;
– Build the new multi-sports facilities in Vila Real de Santo António;
– Save about 90 jobs at VRSA SGU with the integration of all workers who wanted to do so in the Municipality's staff;
– Reorganize the Municipality's services;
– Approve the revision of the Municipal Adjustment Plan;
-We opened the Grand House (former Hotel Guadiana). We concluded the process that gave Vila Real de Santo António one of its heritage and tourist ex libris.
– Pousada de Portugal of Grupo Pestana in the middle of Praça Marquês de Pombal: We worked side by side with Grupo Pestana in order to complete all the procedures that will allow Vila Real de Santo António to receive a Pousada de Portugal, which just did not open last April for cause of the Covid-19 pandemic;
– We are recovering the water mirrors of Avenida da República in VRSA;
– We are building a roundabout next to the fire station, in order to improve one of the most critical points in the city for road accidents;
– We are carrying out all the necessary treatments on the Walkway of Monte Gordo and soon we'll do the same on the other walkways in the county.
Last year, during the most critical period of new lives, and while we could not neglect the financial recovery of the Municipality, we did not fail to support those who needed it most:
– We helped those who were sick or confined, delivering medicines and purchases;
– We helped our entrepreneurs across the bureaucracy in obtaining state support;
– We supported tourism with several campaigns during the summer;
– We supported local Commerce and restaurants during the winter with a Christmas campaign;
– We took food items to charities and the food bank against hunger.
Even carrying out all these achievements, in two years we managed to reduce the municipality's debt by more than 10 million euros, balancing the accounts and without allowing the accumulation of debt with suppliers again. For the first time in many years, we managed to be up to date with all payments to the State and we reached the end of 2020 with almost 5 million euros in treasury.
Above all, we regained our credibility with suppliers, banks, public entities and, above all, with the population.
Unfortunately, in 2020, everything we knew as normal became the most difficult time for the entire world. In no moment of this pandemic that still devastates us I let down my arms, in fact, I live with the awareness that I did everything to help in this inglorious fight with an invisible enemy. Even without financial resources, we spent 1,5 million euros on fighting the pandemic and its many effects.
I take from this mandate many moments of fatigue, frustration, impotence, inability to help those in need a little more, absence from home, family, friends and, with a lot of pain and longing in my heart, the loss of my father. I feel deep within me that this is not the time to lower my arms but it is the time to be present in the lives of others and, above all, in my life.
In the coming months, which will be the last of these four years as president, I will continue to work with the same sense of mission, responsibility, commitment and respect for everyone and, above all, for those who elected me on October 1, 2017 and who trusted in my work and my humanity.
This is an announcement of non-continuity in municipal mandates but it is not yet a farewell. There is still a lot to do and I still gather all my strength for now, in the immediate term, to fight with all of you against this pandemic that will not take our smiles away and, in our stubbornness as human beings, one day we will still live in each other's embraces .
Thank you to everyone who will continue to walk this path with me until the last day of my office as president and mark the history of the Municipality of Vila real de Santo António, which I carry in my heart every day.
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