Dwarfed by larger councils with comparatively huge incomes and even larger debts, Alcoutim council goes about its work with precision and diligence.
The border town’s budget for 2015 has been approved and will soon go for a vote from the full chamber but no surprises are expected.
Despite a €5 million drop in predicted income next year, the main areas of social care, water and roads are safeguarded.
The ‘Budget and Major Planning Options for 2015’ announced by the mayor is for an expenditure of €8,088,519 as approved in an extraordinary meeting in October.
The proposed budget notes €2,075,616 for capital expenditures, 26% of the overall, with money earmarked mainly for water treatment and supply, and for roadworks across the county.
Osvaldo Gonçalves, the mayor, released a statement of intestinal complexity, summarised thus, "This budget reflects the adverse macro and micro situation in which the municipality finds itself, considering the external conditions. Despite the reduction of €5,196,886.00 in expected revenue over the previous year, resulting primarily from the implementation of legislative changes, in particular as regards the criteria for calculating the estimated amount of revenue, the approved document now represents a clear and careful budget matrix, which was based on a strict diagnosis in relation to the needs of the county's population."
There we have it. Overall, the most significant investment in social care will be in the Martim Longo old people’s home.
Documents approved by the executive will now be assessed and voted on by the full council at the next meeting.
Alcoutim council does make the budgetary process look easy but often as much work goes into setting a small budget as a large one.
The nation waits with interest for the budget announcement from Portimão for 2015 as a large part of its income will be spend on paying interest on €130 million of debts accumulated under the regime of fiscally incompetent former mayor Manuel da Luz.
Comments
The routine - if things get too hot here in Portugal - is to shimmy off to Brazil to meet up again with the millions siphoned off into your childrens bank accounts.
Brazil being preferred as it has a more robust banking system being 'supervised by the US'. Sending your ill-gotten gains to ex-colonies like Angola or Mozambique might result in those funds being diverted to some other local needy.
But then there is always that old stand-by - the off-shore bank account.
So - when will the Portuguese banking regulators and EU funds scrutineers spot the routine of paying dodgy money into relatives bank accounts ???
Or are they also - for a fee - part of the merry go round ?