By INÊS LOPES ines.lopes@algarveresident.com
Rogério Santos Pinto has been announced Mayor of Silves after former president Isabel Soares accepted a role as chief administrator at public company Águas do Algarve.
Rogério Pinto, who was formerly Deputy Mayor at Silves, was confirmed as Câmara President on November 7, after a meeting of the executive approved the suspension of Isabel Soares’ mandate until October 14 2013.
The new mayor has vowed to “honour all commitments, namely those with the Juntas de Freguesia (parish councils)”, which are owed large amounts of money by the câmara and have been suffering serious financial hardship as a result.
The new mayor admitted that recent government-imposed legislation (Lei dos Compromissos) to help municipalities meet their financial obligations and pay overdue debt has created a number of constraints, however “we are working to ensure funds are freed up soon”.
Meanwhile, Silves opposition party PS has accused Isabel Soares of “running away from her responsibilities” by renouncing her mandate to take up a position at Águas do Algarve.
“Isabel Soares interrupted her mandate which was voted for by the Silves people. She has failed to fulfil her commitments and responsibilities at the câmara,” a PS/Silves statement read.
On November 5, Isabel Soares was confirmed as chief administrator of Águas do Algarve, the company that manages water supply and waste water treatment in the region. She was unanimously selected for the role by the 16 Algarve mayors, confirmed Algarve Câmaras Association (AMAL) president Macário Correia.
In its statement, PS/Silves says Soares is “within her rights” to suspend her mandate, but questions whether abandoning the câmara presidency is the right thing to do after being voted by the Silves people for the role for the past four years, with her mandate ending in October 2013.
“This will only aggravate the municipality’s problems further, as the PSD party is yet to announce the name of the councillor taking up the place left by her departure,” read the statement. “It is no surprise that no one has come forward for the role after the way this Câmara has been led by the PSD. No one appears to be willing to sign on the dotted line.”
While mayor of Silves, Isabel Soares’ infamous approval, in 2007, of the Praia Grande tourist development project, which threatens to destroy the neighbouring Salgados lagoon if it goes ahead as planned, will not be forgotten by the many Algarve residents and nature lovers who have been protesting against the decision.
Following a similar pattern to Isabel Soares was Desidério Silva who suspended his role as mayor of Albufeira to become President of the Algarve Tourism Board. José Carlos Rolo, formely Deputy Mayor of Albufeira, is the new president of the câmara (see last week’s edition).
|| Who is Rogério Pinto?
Faro-born Rogério Pinto, 59, has a degree in Physical Education and was a PE teacher at various secondary schools in the country. He was also responsible for coordinating the sports sections at Lagoa and Armação de Pêra Secondary Schools and, between 1997 and 2002, was President of the Armação de Pêra, Alcantarilha and Pêra Group of Schools.
A member of the PSD party, Rogério Pinto began his political career in 2002, when he was elected a permanent councillor at Silves Câmara, first in the Culture and Sport Department and later as Deputy Mayor, being in charge of various municipal building projects, planning and urban management, school buildings and the environment section.
