Skin and bones budget for Cebu City next year
CEBU City Hall’s budget for next year returns to the “simple, realistic, and skin-and-bones” that is characteristic of the Osmeña administration.
Councilor Margarita Osmeña, who has been assigned by Mayor Tomas Osmeña as deputy mayor for budget and finance, said they will be sticking to this year’s approved budget of P6.4 billion as much as possible.
“Tommy said garbage and traffic (will be prioritized) and as much as possible stick to the budget of this year. Because we’re just going to use the regular sources of income. No dreaming big,” Osmeña said.
She met with members of the executive department’s Local Finance Committee in her office where they started discussing the city’s budget proposal since the deadline for submission is next month on October 15.
Osmeña, who used to head the council’s committee on budget and finance, said they will not be considering the revenue from the sale of the lots in the South Road Properties (SRP) as fund source.
There is still P8 billion, from the sale of the lots, in the city’s coffers. The cash is placed under a time deposit account.
Osmeña also said there won’t be as much capital outlay proposals coming from the executive department for next year.
“We keep on allocating but it’s not being implemented. We still have to look into those capital outlay projects funded in previous years. If it’s still implementable, then continue. And there should be prioritization,” she said.
The councilor said they will be proposing another P300 million budget for the construction of the new Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) which will still push through despite problems on paperwork raised earlier.
Department heads, officials and the City Council held several meetings last week for their Executive-Legislative Agenda (ELA).
During the meetings, Osmeña said the department heads already had general proposals for items to be funded in next year’s budget.
She said the respective departments are working on the specifics of their proposals to be submitted to the City Budget Office.
Osmeña said unlike in previous years, department heads won’t be made to submit their wish lists.
Instead, she said the budget office will “guide them so they stay in a certain framework.”
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