Aveiro: After “fantastic year”, 24 will be of lower execution / President warns again of “tensions”

2023 was “a great, fantastic year”, which resulted in “the salvation of S. Jacinto from the most important aspects”, creating conditions for the financial restoration of the local Parish Council, highlighted Ribau Esteves at the Municipal Assembly.

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A year without tax increases, on the contrary, he recalled, but in which the charges made yielded more and “there is still a lot of leakage”. 2023 saw “investments of all types made, throughout the municipality, unlike what was happening”.

Notes left by the Mayor in the debate on the management report and accounts held at the Municipal Assembly this Friday, which was approved by a majority (votes in favor of the majority and Chega’s abstention), once again warning of “tensions” that are on the horizon on the horizon, namely in the payment of European funds. But, he assured, there are ‘medicines’ to alleviate such pain.

In the intervention made by the opposition with a more detailed approach, António Salavessa (PCP) presented figures that in his opinion prove that it would have been possible to alleviate the tax burden last year (the reduction of the IMI to 0.4 will take effect in 2024), and make continuing the reduction “unavoidable”. Taxes charged were 12% higher than budgeted, reaching 38.1 million euros, with 19.1 million IMI, 10.2 million IMT and six million surcharges.

The elected communist noted the “inability” to execute expected capital revenues even in the year in which European funds closed. And he made a comparison of investments in social areas, pointing out a “drop” in housing from 2.6 to 1 million euros (less than 1% of revenue) and an execution rate of “only 36%” in education. Support for associations, IPSS, firefighters and others was increased by 20% (5.6 million euros), but remained below 2021, the election year (6.3 million). In the parishes, despite the reinforcement of 330 thousand euros, António Salavessa said that it is “very far” from what is applied in many municipalities, which reach 8 and 10% of the budget. “What continues to increase”, he warned, “are pseudo events, with dubious returns, which waste resources that are more useful in social functions, an exaggeration”, with “certainly more than 10 million euros” being at stake”.

Despite “records being broken again” in tax collection, Gabriel Bernardo (Chega), took into account “the work that has been done” so as not to vote against, opting to abstain.

Pedro Rodrigues, from PAN, said that it was a year in which there was “a lot of cement and less green space” in the municipality and denied that the Chamber exercises the care it claims to have with pet animals, continuing without an official collection center (CROA ). The elected official reduced actions in the area of ​​soft mobility or even the lack of measures to “many cosmetic operations” or even the lack of measures, for example when it comes to preventing climate change, on the contrary, they advanced “soil waterproofing” interventions.

For BE, Celme Tavares, pointed out housing and transport as negative points in the 2023 balance, with problems persisting in careers, as well as “the execution of works that in no way improved people’s lives”.

Pedro Pires da Rosa, from the PS, highlighted the 75% execution rate as positive, but recalled that “the problem lies in what was executed”. The city “became better with the end of the works, but it wasn’t much better and could have been much better”. With the mandate coming to an end, “in which everything was not done wrong” and a president with no legal possibility of continuing, the elected socialist said that “our fight now is for the future”. Finally, he argued that there were conditions in 2023 for more robust support to parishes and questioned the framing of the 30 million euro loan.

“A scare is happening” – Ribau Esteves, on the delays in European funds

In his responses, the President of the Chamber began by “composing” the reading of the report made by the elected PCP “which is correct in the numbers but not in the reading of reality”. For example, revenue from 2023 will only come in in 2024. Payment for the land next to the seminary is one of them (2 million euros). There are also contributions from European funds to arrive. A year that will almost certainly be “very low” in terms of execution rate, because “a scare is happening”, due to the delay in the transfer of European funds, corresponding to eligible expenses of a few “large millions”, the which justifies the use of financing alternatives, such as loans. Still regarding money guaranteed but not yet paid, the mayor informed that the Government continues to not transfer funds from the Portuguese Capital of Culture, which is supported by the State to the tune of 2 million euros. He also countered the lack of investment in housing. (see statements below).

In relation to other criticisms from the opposition, the president of the Chamber reaffirmed that the CROA project is being reviewed due to the estimated costs (2.6 million euros), to be borne by the municipality. He pointed to the work at Cais do Sal as an example to “take care” of climate change. Regarding transport, he was satisfied with the improvements, guaranteeing that “delays are not a reality of our lives”.

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Aveiro Chamber reached the desired budgetary level in 2023 with an execution rate of 75%

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