by INÊS LOPES ines.lopes@theresidentgroup.com
Local government will be hit hard by major restructuring this year, with 21 parish council offices in the Algarve at risk of closing as part of cost cutting measures announced in 2011.
Since the Algarve Resident reported on the subject in the October 21, 2011 issue, proposals for local government reform have remained unaltered, but affected councils have been working together to oppose the measures included in the government’s Livro Verde da Reforma da Administração Local.
AMAL, the association representing Algarve câmaras, says social aspects should overrule “mathematical criteria”, referring to the criteria imposed by the government for parish councils.
Macário Correia, president of AMAL, said: “The majority of parishes affected by these criteria are in rural areas, meaning the population most likely to suffer from the reform are the elderly.”
The region currently has 84 Juntas de Freguesia (parish council) offices but the green paper for local government reform lists 21 parish councils as coming up short against government criteria which would allow them to remain open.
Assessment of the Juntas de Freguesia has been done according to the number of inhabitants and distance of the parish council from the municipality capital.
The Livro Verde states that reform of the local government is “needed in order to improve public services, increase efficiency and cut costs, always taking into account area specifications, such as those designated as urban, mostly urban and mostly rural locations.”
The Livro Verde da Reforma da Administração Local states that the creation of new clusters of parishes under a single body will lead to “improved inner workings of local government, giving additional value to newly formed parishes”.
According to the national association of parish councils (ANAFRE), 10 Algarve municipalities would see changes to parish councils and reform on an administrative level.
In total, there are 4,259 parish councils in Portugal, a number the government hopes to see reduced by 1,500.
The initial draft proposal will now need to be approved at local and regional levels before changes can be made. This is expected to take place by June this year.
Proposed parishes to be restructured
Municipality
Albufeira
Guia
Olhos de Água
Alcoutim
Pereiro
Aljezur
Bordeira
Faro
Conceição
Faro (São Pedro)
Montenegro
Lagos
Barão de São João
Luz
Lagos (Santa Maria)
Lagos (São Sebastião)
Loulé
São Sebastião
São Clemente
Ameixial
Olhão
Fuseta
Olhão
Pechão
Tavira
Sta Maria
Santiago
Vila do Bispo
Barão de São Miguel
Raposeira
Source: Livro Verde da Reforma da Administração Local
Do you have a view on this story? Please email Editor Inês Lopes at ines.lopes@theresidentgroup.com
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