The president of the Cartaxo Chamber, João Heitor, with former president Paulo Caldas, one of the honorees
MIRANTE followed the solemn session of the 50th anniversary of April 25, 1974 in Cartaxo, where the mayors of the last 50 years were honored and various projects for the municipality were presented.
The solemn session of the 50th anniversary of April 25, 1974 in Cartaxo gave the floor to representatives of all political forces and paid tribute to the mayors of the last 50 years. The current president of the municipality, João Heitor, gave an account of the municipality’s activity in the last year and the projects that are about to be born in the municipality, taking advantage of the moment of his speech to hand over the keys of the new emergency ambulance to the commander of the Municipal Firefighters of Cartaxo , Victor Rodrigues. The Grupo Coral Cant’Arte, from Casa do Povo de Pontével, brightened the session with songs alluding to April.
The speech highlights the maintenance and improvement project of the road network with an impact on all parishes, the first interventions of which are scheduled for the end of June; the definitive advancement of the Loja do Cidadão next to the Escola do Centro, in a building built from scratch; approval of the application for the new Cartaxo Health Center; and the contract to rehabilitate the Casais Lagartos sanitation network, works on which are scheduled to begin in May. Once the setbacks have been overcome, the municipality hopes to receive the municipal swimming pools project in the first week of May and work hard towards its completion.
The Cartaxo Cultural Center is receiving a reinforcement of equipment and in terms of entrepreneurship, it is worth highlighting the sale of six lots in the Cartaxo Business Park and the review of the Casal Branco Business Park project, which should arrive in July. This year, interventions will be prepared for the Basic School of the 1st Cycle José Tagarro and the Basic School of the 2nd and 3rd Cycles Marcelino Mesquita. João Heitor also revealed that in Valada the impact of the influx of heavy vehicles on Rua 25 de Abril, caused by the closure of Ponte de Santana, will be minimized, and that there is a commitment from the municipality to reactivate the old primary school transforming it into a Center for Interpretation of Rio. In June, the arrival of five new firefighters for the Cartaxo Municipal Corporation is also expected.
Former mayors honored
The mayors honored in the solemn session were Hélder Travado, still on the post-revolution administrative commission and now deceased; Renato Campos, the first elected president; Henrique Janota, now deceased; José Conde Rodrigues; Francisco Pereira; Paulo Caldas; Paulo Varanda and Pedro Ribeiro. Distinctions justified “by their role in the municipal democratic process, leadership in the destinies of our municipality and responsibility for their management actions in the municipality”.
Despite Cartaxo being one of the most indebted municipalities in the country, it managed to reduce payment deadlines and relevant debt. “In 2023 we had the best budget balance for many years, with very positive budget execution levels that were also higher than in previous years, results achieved in a year in which we had to return 1.15 million in Basement Occupancy Tax to Tagusgás. (TOS)” to alleviate families’ bills, said João Heitor.
On the sidelines/opinion
Missing emigrated children
Francisco Pereira, president of the Municipal Council of Cartaxo from 2000 to 2002, was one of those honored at the solemn session on the 25th of April in Cartaxo and took the floor to express his dismay that, after 50 years, we continue to be a country that cannot pay better salaries and be more developed, expressing with emotion that he misses the warmth of the hugs of his three children, emigrated in Canada, Switzerland and Germany.
