When she mentioned a meeting between Talisay City Mayor Johnny V. de los Reyes and the Talisay City Council, Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale said only elected officials would be present. No one else.
“No pastor, no John Yre (de los Reyes´ son and Talisay City administrator). Only the mayor, the vice mayor, the governor, me, (board member) Gigi, and perhaps anyone from the board who is available,” she said.
The selection was likely based on the strained relations between the Talisay mayor and Vice Mayor Romeo Villarante, who blames the growing animosity between the Talisay City Council and the mayor on the mayor’s son John Yre, who they feel is an unwelcome and intrusive presence in City Hall.
The vice governor also mentioned Mayor de los Reyes’ pastor, who wields some influence on how the mayor runs the city’s affairs including the P350 million public market project that de los Reyes wants to undertake that is opposed by the council.
The multi-million peso market project was abandoned due to its location being far from the poblacion and mainstream customers of the market vendors and stall holders. The mayor is pressured to undertake its rehabilitation, even total reconstruction of the existing old market in Tabunok.
The budget war between the mayor and the Council over the reduced 2015 budget has justifiable grounds.
Why enact a P1 billion budget if Talisay can’t match its expenses with its revenue?
That’s the same argument used by the Cebu City Council in its budget battle with Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama. Rama keeps raising the budget target and has managed to secure a P13 billion budget, the highest in Cebu City’s history.
Provincial Board (PB) Member Grecilda Sanchez-Zaballero explained that the PB will set standards for budget planning for local government units (LGUs) in Cebu as a result of the Talisay City budget feud. Drawing the line between what an LGU can produce and what it hopes to spend remains the focus of debate.
Vice Mayor Villarante said the council is willing to sit down with Mayor JVR to plan and pass supplemental budgets for items he requests later including the mayor’s intelligence funds. But they should not use this as leverage to dictate on the mayor on how to spend public funds.
Talisay residents must be wondering how much influence his inner circle has over the mayor.
When it comes to governance, the mayor should be open to input not just from his selected advisers, but to allies and even critics. At the end of the day, the wisdom or folly of JVR’s decisions will help define his fledgling administration to his constituents.
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