The Budget for 2024 did not pass the first time, but Rogério Bacalhau, president of the Chamber of Faro, believes that the Farense Municipal Assembly (AM) will now approve the proposed Amending Municipal Budget, with a very significant value: 100 million euros, thanks to the inclusion of around 24 million euros carried over from 2023.
The Chamber of Faro approved yesterday, Monday, the first revision to the Municipal Budget for 2024, which, if approved by the AM, will replace the one currently in force, an admittedly transitional document approved in mid-February and which, similar to what was failed in December still did not include some emblematic works.
The municipality of Faro The year began without an approved budget for 2024, due to a surprising lead of the proposal presented by the executive led by the social democrat Rogério Bacalhau, with two votes against from PSD municipal deputies, at the Municipal Assembly on December 19th.
A lead due to fire friend which was harshly commented on by the President of the Chamber of Faro, who at the time told our newspaper that the Chamber “is not an employment agency, nor does it create positions on request”.
Now, three months after this lead and about a month after approving a first version of the budget, the Chamber approved the first correction to the document, which now amounts to an "unprecedented" 100 million euros (100.058.559 euros), which Rogério Bacalhau believes it will pass the Municipal Assembly.
«There have already been internal meetings in the PSD on this matter», including with the two activists who failed the budget, in 2024, one of whom, Tiago Botelho, justified at the time to the Sul Informação that one of the main reasons was the lack of measures that they considered fundamental, in terms of investment, but also because of the price of water – it was, moreover, the refusal of the Chamber to increase the price of water that led the two deputies to vote in favor of the budget proposal, about a month ago.
“There’s no reason why it shouldn’t pass. It is the Municipal Budget that has the most investment planned, ever», stated the mayor from Faro.
This is the highest budget ever, in Faro, which results from the addition of the value of around 75 million from the proposal approved in February - which was already the highest value ever -, to the management balance of around 24 million and 854.042 euros «in revenues that were not foreseen at the time of approval of forecast documents", according to the Chamber of Faro.
In statements to the Sul Informação, Rogério Bacalhau highlighted the strong investment component of the proposal approved yesterday.
«We have many big projects planned. One of them is the Praia de Faro, which will be completed this year», he said.
«We also want to begin the renovation of the riverside area, with the launch of tenders for the different planned works, namely the requalification of the area between Largo de S. Francisco and Portas do Mar and Porto de Recreio. We also have the project for Bairro Ribeirinho, where Rua do Crime and the bars are located, which will be completely redeveloped, and the construction of a new roundabout on the EN125, in Pontes de Marchil, next to Comandos», he added.
Rogério Bacalhau reveals that “around 70 million euros of investment are planned over the next three years” – 33 million euros, in 2024, and 29 million and 13 million, respectively, in 2025 and 2026.
As detailed by the Chamber of Faro, in a press release, investments are also planned “in the municipality's schools (1.441.700 thousand euros), improvement of sports facilities (1.078.075 euros), increase in the car fleet (1.080.000 euros), rehabilitation of communication routes in the city (693.050 euros) and in rural areas (1.007.000 euros), acquisition of computer equipment (447 thousand euros), acquisition of land (402.674 euros), requalification of public space in Praia de Faro and Island of Farol (300 thousand euros), investment in the energy efficiency of luminaires (200.000 euros), among others».
Among the investments to be made in the municipality's school system, «highlights include the requalification of primary schools (1 thousand euros) and the investment in schools in terms of energy efficiency (600 thousand euros).
Through this reinforcement, «the Municipality also continues its strategy of improving the attractiveness of the municipality and its communication routes, namely with the requalification of Rua da Atalaia (310 thousand euros), Rua da Indústria (150 thousand euros) and the urbanization of Postmen (100 thousand euros for 2024 and 400.000 euros for 2025), as well as the beginning of the tender procedure for accessible routes in the Old City, the work of which will be carried out in 2025 and 2026.»
«In the rural area, the highlights are interventions planned on Estrada Municipal 522-1, at the Galvana site (321 thousand euros), Estrada Estoi/ Azinhal/ Peral (270 thousand euros for 2024 and 400 thousand euros for 2025), requalification of central streets in Santa Bárbara (100 thousand euros for 2024 and 439.214 euros for 2025) and Estrada dos Agostos (286 thousand euros)”, added the Chamber.
The Chamber of Faro will also invest in the automobile fleet, namely «in the acquisition of a vehicle for the Firefighters Company worth around 500 thousand euros, two 31-seater buses (270 thousand euros) and two minibuses and a 9-seater van for school transport (155 thousand euros).
Capital transfers totaling 544 thousand euros are also planned for the Loulé Municipalities Association Faro (250 thousand euros), social action entities (164 thousand euros) and sports entities (100 thousand euros) and others.
«With regard to current transfers, there was an increase of 5.102.417 euros, highlighting the support for entities in the social area (1.101.866 euros)», concludes the Chamber.
For Rogério Bacalhau, «this review and reinforcement of the Budget only happens due to the good financial situation of the Municipality, which now allows us to strengthen investment in several areas, in order to improve the public space and the attractiveness of our municipality but also bringing direct benefits for the economy and for people's lives».
Editor's Note: Corrected with information about the approval by the Municipal Assembly of a first Municipal Budget proposal for 2024, in February
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