City Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo has lamented the delay in the City Council’s approval of the City’s Annual Investment Plan, a precursor to the 2024 annual budget.
Speaking to reporters, the Mayor said that in the absence of an approved budget, the City is currently running on a reenacted budget.
“The effect of having a reenacted budget is no joke,” he said, “and the City cannot wait for the March 30 deadline which is prescribed by law for the approval of the budget.”
He said the City should prepare for calamities of disasters. “We have to be proactive,” he said. “If a disaster strikes, we do not know where to get funds for it,” the Mayor said.
“Second is the budget for peace and order. We don’t have money for it because the Peace and Order Council budget is based on the 20 percent Development Fund from the annual budget.”
He also said the City might have to lay off 500 project-based workers beginning in April if no budget is approved, as the projects could no longer be sustained.
The Mayor also revealed that Dumaguete is now qualified to become a 2nd class city, which could mean an increase in the salaries of workers and barangay officials; but that this cannot be done on a re-enacted budget.
On the other hand, the Mayor’s cousin, Councilor TonyRems Remollo, renewed the call for the Mayor to reconvene the City Development Council so that the budget process can push through.
He said the City Council does not want a re-enacted budget. “Why doesn’t our Honorable Mayor convene the CDC?”
Councilor TonyRems told reporters that instead of reconvening the CDC to discuss the recommendations of the Council, the Mayor instead held meetings with several sectors.
“This is also what he did with the (proposed) 174-(hectare reclamation project) where he is conditioning the minds of the people, instead of informing them that this will happen.”
The Councilor said that to avoid any problem, we should just follow the basic process and procedure so we would not have any problem.
“The budget for the existing City scholars will not be affected. All those stories they are peddling about the so-called effects of re-enacted budgets are all lies,” Councilor Tonyrems said. (AP)
