Services get biggest share of Moreno’s P5-b budget

By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent

MAYOR Oscar Moreno over the weekend said he plans to spend much of his proposed P4.8-billion budget next year for social services if the city council gives him the green light.

If not, Moreno said he would wait for the next set of city council members to assume office in mid-2016, and then submit his proposed annual budget again.

Moreno’s proposal is P1 billion higher than his executive budget of P3.8 billion this year which the city council rejected. The local legislature reduced it, and approved a P2.08-billion budget for this year.

He said he has remained hopeful that that Padayon Pilipino-dominated city council would approve his nearly P5-billion budget proposal, saying city hall’s savings have reached over P2 billion so far this year because the city council wouldn’t allow his administration to spend it for programs and projects.

“Nanghina-ot lang gihapon ako nga mahigmata ang majority sa city council nga dili ako ang ilang gipirehisyo, apan ang katawhan ang ilang ipag-antos, kon dili nila aprobahan ang akong gi-proposed nga budget sa sunod tuig,” he said.

Next to social services, said Moreno, infrastructure, education, and agriculture, among others, would get the biggest chunks of the proposed 2016 budget.

“If they don’t approve it, then I will re-file that budget proposal on July 1, 2016 when the new members of the city council have assumed office,” Moreno said.