"Despite the enormous constraints and the great national and international uncertainty, the year 2023 is faced, by us, with optimism and hope for Famalicão and for the famalicenses". This is how the Mayor of Vila Nova de Famalicão, Mário Passos, opens the 'Major Planning Options and Budget 2023' that will be subject to a vote by the executive next Thursday, November 24th, in an Extraordinary Town Hall Meeting.
Nearly 139 million euros is how much the famalicense local government plans to manage in 2023, approximately 5 million more than the current year. Of the total amount, 9.5 million come from community funds, still related to projects approved under Portugal 2020, as in the cases of the rehabilitation of the Bus Station, the requalification and hydrographic recovery of the Ave Basin and the completion of several structuring projects developed in recent years, such as the requalification of the Urban Centre and the construction of the urban cycling network.
In terms of new community funding, the highlight goes to the construction of the new Family Health Units (USF) of Joane and S. Miguel-o-Anjo, in Calendário, and to the beginning of the operation for the construction of the university residence.
"We are in a municipality that has managed its accounts very responsibly, which has allowed us to maintain a high financial efficiency - as confirmed recently by the 'Anuário Financeiro dos Municípios Portugueses' (Financial Yearbook of Portuguese Municipalities) - which has given us the elasticity to respond effectively and without prejudice to the dynamics installed, to the unfavourable circumstances that we have faced", says Mário Passos, announcing a decrease in the municipal IMI rate, from 0.35% to 0.34%. "The solidity of our accounts allows us to take this step, directly benefiting families at a time when inflation is a concern", explains the mayor, recalling that the municipality had already moved in the IRS rate, from 0.5% to 0.45%, regarding COVID-19 and that would remain at this value.
With these two reductions, the municipality will no longer collect 1.3 million euros, which will remain in the pockets of the people of Famalicão.
Current expenditure grows by 12 million euros, which is explained by the impact of price increases, namely energy costs, the transfer of powers, the new responsibilities assumed in education and social action, and the accommodation of wage increases, by the wage increase imposed by law and by the hiring of new operational assistants.
The Mayor reinforces the idea that current expenditure corresponds in large part to direct investment in citizens. "This is the way to guarantee the dynamics of the municipality in terms of the various programmes and actions. More than by the existence of collective equipment, the quality of life that the municipality offers is directly dependent on the dynamics that are created in this equipment", defends the mayor.
In terms of capital investment, the largest shares go to Education, to Environmental Protection and Nature Conservation, to Sports, Culture and Leisure, and to Road Transport. Regarding this last point, it should be noted that, in the beginning of January 2023, a new reality will come into operation in Famalicão through a transitory public tender, with 50 lines, 18 of which are new.
Transversal to all areas is the dimension of social cohesion, an investment that within each sector represents a response to the individual needs of citizens, whether with aid in housing, education, environment or others. "With this exercise, it is verified that the social area represents the largest investment of the Plan and Budget for 2023 of the City Hall", says Mário Passos, recalling his guarantee that "everything will be done so that no famalicense is left behind".
For the Mayor, this is a plan that "responds to the strategic vision 'Famalicão.30' - built with the famalicenses -, to the challenges and uncertainty that lie ahead, as well as to the program promised to the famalicenses, without forgetting the great medium and long term challenges to keep Famalicão on the path of competitiveness, success and increasing quality of life for citizens".