Today, we all discuss the remuneration situation of local government officials. Rightly so, and you have every reason. However, it is essential to look at public administration careers, particularly at the local administration level. Without this regularization, it is tough for municipalities and parishes to fulfill their mission,” stated during the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities (ANMP) Congress in Viana do Castelo.
The official noted that over the last 25 years, governments have been creating two parallel States: one for the privileged and one for the disenfranchised.
“Who appears when floods occur? Who supports logistics during fires? Who is available 24 hours a day? It is not only the local government officials, but the staff of local municipalities who also need to be available 24 hours a day,” he emphasized.
“We see that there are state employees who earn very well, those working directly for the State to extract taxpayers’ money. Then, there are employees in institutions such as municipal councils, who provide services to the people, who earn poorly. We must fight for the career enhancement of these staff,” he added.
He affirmed that at least in coastal municipalities, it is very challenging to appoint a division chief, a department or municipal director, or an administrator for a municipal public enterprise, as salaries are low compared to what competent professionals can earn in private companies.
Regarding salary increases for local government officials, he argued that it is not out of embarrassment or public opinion that salaries are not increased: “They are not increased because they do not want to,” he asserted.
He also emphasized the need for a new Local Finance Law, labeling the current one as obsolete and not aligning with the populations’ needs, municipalities, or the State, as various responsibilities have been informally assumed by municipalities and parishes, which are unaddressed in the current law.
The independent president of the Oeiras Municipality highlighted territorial planning, urbanism, land law bases, and the rules by which local officials can transform territories as crucial topics for the ANMP to tackle.
“The housing issue is fundamental; it is crucial that the ANMP has a clear stance on public housing and within public housing, supported and affordable rent. Housing is fundamental, without it, there is no education, no health, nothing else. This is where family organization begins, and thus, the ANMP must be a vital pillar in the defense of housing,” he stated.
He further considered the decentralization process to be a “fraud” and deemed it crucial for the ANMP to outline a comprehensive claim book to present to the Government, developed through consultation with local officials and in a manner that meets the populations’ needs.
During the ANMP Congress, which concludes today in Viana do Castelo, officials elected the Pombal Municipality President, Pedro Pimpão, of the PSD, as president for the upcoming term.
This afternoon, the resolution of the XXVII ANMP Congress, containing the main conclusions and commitments of the municipalities for the next term, will be debated and subsequently voted on.
