Tuesday, October 30, 2007 VM stresses need to renovate session hall
THE session hall needs to be renovated to accommodate more people who wish to observe the City Council sessions, said Mandaue City Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna.
Fortuna was reacting to Mayor Jonas Cortes’ criticizing the council’s priorities in acting on the proposed fifth supplemental budget.
The mayor earlier criticized Fortuna and the majority councilors for giving more importance to the P6-million renovation of the session hall than to the vital needs of the City, like patrol cars and the slaughterhouse.
This, after Councilor Emil Rosal, head of the finance committee, recommended to the council that the executive branch’s proposed fifth supplemental budget be reduced from P62.38 million to P44.24 million.
Expansion
This means slashing the allocation for the purchase of new patrol cars, acquisition of additional slaughterhouse equipment and lot acquisition for the National Government-funded Burgos Bridge construction.
Fortuna said the slashed amount did not involve basic services but personnel services, under the Office of the Mayor, as they are just following the “lean and mean” policy of the chief executive.
Fortuna, who just arrived from China, explained that the renovation will expand the session hall to provide a gallery, “which it never had for the past 40 years,” to accommodate more public viewers to the session’s proceedings.
“We maintain the full amount of P2.5 million for medical and laboratory supplies; for the hospital and even appropriated for the purchase of firearms for the PNP to improve our police efficiency,” he said.
The finance committee recommended the removal of P6.4 million funds for the purchase of patrol cars, but included P1.8 million for rental of patrol cars for three months plus P1.194 million for the purchase of firearms and other police equipment.
Fortuna said the finance committee only recommended reducing the budget for personnel services, which include the P1.7 million for casual employees under the Office of the Mayor.
He said the P1.3-million budget for the honoraria of job-order employees at the City-run slaughterhouse had to be dropped since it is contrary to the “lean and mean” policy of the mayor.
Under scrutiny
Also, the budget submitted is a department budget and like other department budgets, these are subject to review and adjustment because these are mere estimates.
Fortuna questioned the P18.6-million budget for casuals under the mayor’s office, which was included in the proposed 2008 annual budget.
He said this is contrary to the mayor’s “lean and mean” policy since the amount is 10 percent higher than the 2007 budget for casuals in that office.
He said the proposed 2008 annual budget also carries the mayor’s allocation for local travels amounting to P1.5 million and foreign travels at P1.5 million.
Fortuna said these amounts are enough to build three classrooms.
The vice mayor was also surprised with the mayor’s “measly” P350,000 budget for anti-drug campaigns. (OCP)
