Mayor Walter Cortés was disappointed by the failure in his attempt to obtain the sanction of the economic and housing emergencybut he had conciliatory words towards the councilors who did not provide a quorum, who he hopes will review their position “and accompany, because the people urgently need it.”
He said that next Wednesday they will make a new attempt in the Council to achieve the treatment of the project on tables. He assured that they are willing to listen to contributions, incorporate changes and ruled out sending the initiative to the commission, because it would have a long delay. “There are six pages, it is not much to study,†he stated.
The declaration of emergency would allow it to renegotiate the municipal debt, which last month was estimated at 16,000 million pesos, in addition to reviewing the transportation contract, making direct purchases for road equipment and services and expediting the approval of real estate ventures, with a view to obtaining compensation in free land, to apply it in social land lots.
He said that “more than 5,000 people in Bariloche need land and there is no public land available.” He confessed his “sadness” at seeing so many people unable to pay rent and said that the solution depends on declaring the emergency. “I call the councilors to reflect, I know they are good people -Cortés said-. On Wednesday we are going to put the project back on the table.”
In yesterday’s session only five of the eleven councilors (three from the ruling party) showed up to treat the emergency. The rest preferred to hold back the quorum, including the entire JSRN block.
Cortés seemed to be addressing them when he said that the emergency he intends to impose in the municipality for a period of 12 months “it is very similar to the provincial one,†where that party governs, which promoted its approval.
He said that municipal liabilities are a great determining factor in management and the main reason for claiming the emergency. “Without debt we would surely not resort to this tool,†Cortés said.
Yesterday afternoon, the municipality had warned in an official communication that the fall of the emergency project -among other consequences-, It would put at risk the payment in terms of municipal salaries. In response to a specific question from this medium, Cortés said that “this is the case, because the debt is a very big burden. If, for example, the OPS company prosecutes your claim and seizes the municipality’s accounts, compliance with salaries will be complicated.†He said that with the emergency he could start business and agree on payment terms that would remove that threat.
Jesus’ cheek
The mayor avoided being hostile or vindictive towards the councilors who refused to deal with the emergency. “If there are differences (with the project) we can talk about it. But political whims should not prevail in such a serious situation -he stated-. I ask you to please hold the debate, because I have every willingness to move Bariloche forward.”
Cortés said that he had not discussed the issue with any of the opposition councilors and believed that “maybe they lacked time†to evaluate the proposal. He said that they were given it in advance and that now they have more time, until next Wednesday, to make the observations they want.
“If Jesus turned the other cheek, why aren’t we going to turn it?” said the mayor, in an extra effort to build bridges with the Deliberator. He insisted that his government is “open to listening†and slipped that among the councilors “he could feel the lack of experienceâ€.
He reiterated his request that they not be handled “on a whim†and asked for another opportunity to revive the emergency. “I can understand that politics is made in the last year of administration, because we have to compete, and that is fine. But we are just getting started†he stressed, asking once again that they not boycott his project.
Before that, the mayor described the situation he found in the municipality, saying that it represents “a challenge”, and even more so “in the middle of a country that day after day brings conflicts and problems that are very difficult to resolve.” He said it in reference to the fall of transport subsidies and the disappearance of public works. He specifically complained about the paralysis of the improvements on Bustillo Avenue and the postponement of the work already approved by Enohsa to resolve the lack of water in the Alto neighborhoods.