CEBU City Hall is already preparing the 2017 budget, and addressing the garbage problem, traffic congestion, and the construction of the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) are among the priorities.
This was disclosed by City Councilor Margarita Osmeña, the deputy mayor for budget and finance, who met with the local finance committee yesterday.
In an interview, Osmeña said next year’s annual budget will be about the same amount as this year’s more than P6 billion annual budget, as what her husband, Mayor Tomas Osmeña, instructed.
“We will just use the regular sources of income. No dreaming big. We want to make it as simple as possible. You know he (mayor) has this skin and bones type of budget, but it will not be that skinny anymore because we have all these financial assistance,” she said.
This includes the financial aid given annually to the 67,300 senior citizens in the city, which, the councilor said, already eats up at least P800 million of the City’s annual appropriations.
During his previous term, Mayor Osmeña adopted a “skin and bones” budget, which is his way of simplifying the budget. Only the necessary and urgent items, such as the salaries of personnel for the whole year, utilities and office supplies and some equipment were included.
When asked if the allowances for the workers in the judiciary will no longer be funded in 2017, Councilor Osmeña said it is still being considered.
The mayor earlier said that he wants the City to stop giving allowances to judges and clerks of court.
What will be affected, she said, is mostly the appropriation for capital outlay or infrastructure projects.
She said there might be no new projects next year, considering that the City has a huge backlog, including the unimplemented P1.5-billion drainage project that was approved in 2014 yet.
The City, though, will set aside P300 million for the construction of the new CCMC, Councilor Osmeña said.
“It is a priority because it is going to start soon,” she said.
The construction of the new hospital started last year but it was stopped recently because it doesn’t have the required permits from the City Government.
There is no schedule yet when the works will resume.
All departments of the City were already asked to submit their budget proposals for next year. It will be collated by the local finance committee.
The executive department will submit its proposed 2017 budget on or before Oct. 15 as provided for by the Local Government Code.
