Mayor Cari to presents to city council P450-M budget for next year

Mayor Carmen Cari of Baybay City is to submit to the members of the city council her proposed budget of about P450 million for next year. The proposed P450-million city budget is higher compared to the current budget of the city, Cari said.

The city government operates under a budget of P419 million which is lower by P31 million compare to the proposed 2014 budget. Cari said that she would submit the 2014 city budget next week to the members of the city council for their deliberations and eventual approval. The city mayor said that about 55 percent of the budget was allocated for personnel services with the rest of it to be spent for its various services and projects for next year. Under the 2014 proposed city budget, an amount was also allocated for the hosting of Baybay in next year’s Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic Association (EVRAA) Meet.

The city council has earlier approved a supplemental budget amounting to P 8 million for the construction of grandstand for the said annual regional sporting event. Meanwhile, Mayor Cari said that the city government spent almost P5 million for the repair of its city hall and some of its vehicles damaged during an incident involving city police personnel and supporters of defeated mayoralty candidate, Marilou “Malot” Galenzoga last June 30.

Supporters of Galenzoga stormed the city hall and damaged some of its facilities, to include several city government-owned vehicles like an ambulance and a water tank truck. String of cases was filed by the city government against Galenzoga and some of her supporters due to this incident.