Manuel António Teixeira, recently elected on October 12 with a relative majority by the PSD/CDS-PP coalition, aims to revitalize Cabeceiras de Basto by creating economic development and attracting businesses to provide quality, well-paid jobs. “We need an industrial area capable of hosting companies. Currently, we have no space to accommodate any company. We face high youth unemployment, which we want to counteract. People want to stay because they love this land, but we must create conditions for it, and that can only be done by fostering economic development,” he stated.
Teixeira emphasized the importance of two industrial parks: one in Arco do Baúlhe, with land acquired nearly 15 years ago, and the other, Lameiros, where there is already an industrial zone. “We want to advance immediately with the Lameiros project, expanding the area and negotiating with landowners to attract entrepreneurs quickly,” explained Teixeira, who is a civil engineer by profession.
The mayor believes retaining residents requires quality job creation, benefiting not only those with higher education but also those in vocational training. He stressed the importance of “valuing and providing a future for professional education.”
Additionally, Teixeira seeks to create conditions for emigrants in countries like France, Switzerland, or Belgium to “return home,” emphasizing the necessity of “quality and well-paid jobs” for this to happen.
“Our municipality faces a challenge: the average salary is among the lowest in the country. We need to increase it with larger companies offering better pay scales, without harming small businesses. We hope to attract medium to large enterprises to bring back young people, especially from France,” he said.
Teixeira also pointed to a “serious issue” regarding housing shortages. “There is a stalled social housing project we need to resolve, but we also must go further with the opposition’s support. I have solutions in mind and am confident we can reach a consensus to implement them,” he noted.
Discussions with the Institute of Housing and Urban Rehabilitation (IHRU) are planned to address high housing costs, with rents ranging from 250 to 400 euros and absurd property prices for young families. “In major cities, prices are higher, but locally a T2 isn’t available for less than 200,000 euros. How can young professionals at the start of their careers secure such a loan? We aim to address this slowly, but we want to progress quickly in terms of projects to find solutions,” Teixeira stated.
Throughout his tenure, Teixeira plans to address parking shortages, ensure equal treatment for all parishes, tackle summer water shortages in some areas, and improve basic sanitation, emphasizing that sanitation coverage in the municipality is below 45%.
With three councilors elected from his coalition ‘Fazer Diferente’ (PSD/CDS-PP), two from the PS, and two from the Citizens’ Movement ‘Servir Cabeceiras’, Teixeira ruled out forming majority alliances, focusing instead on dialogue. “We’ll propose our measures and consider theirs, incorporating their input based on their share in the primary plan and annual budget options,” he revealed.
Regarding a potential audit of municipal finances, Teixeira stated it would depend on findings over the next two months, noting the possibility due to “32 years of one power, sometimes leading to bad habits,” but expressed confidence that all would be well.
The new executive took office on Saturday.
