New Merida mayor makes splash with early measures in office

While City Hall has launched a $20 million peso (1.1 million USD)  program to fill Merida´s many potholes, new Merida Mayor Mauricio Vila Dosal has also made a splash with an announced austerity program that includes shedding some of the perks of his office.

Besides declining a city vehicle designated for the mayor´s official use, Vila reduced his salary by 20 per cent, refused payment of his cell phone bill with city resources and waived major medical service.

Vila turned over the Chevy Suburban to officials in the community of San Jose Tzal for emergency transport use.

In a ceremony, the mayor endorsed the commitment of his government to promote the values ​​of respect, honesty, solidarity and transparency that will set standards of conduct in public.

“I made the commitment that, as public officials, we be the first to set an example to take those values, because I am convinced that is the only way to build your confidence in authority,” Vila said.

Vila said that citizens are tired of politicians enjoying privileges that ordinary Meridanos don´t enjoy and stressed that municipal property and resources are not so officials live in luxury, but to make lives better for ordinary citizens.

“These actions are consistent with the administrative reorganization of the City of Merida. It is intended that government costs less to the citizens and serves them better, ” he said.

Meanwhile, Merida city hall hopes to pave the city´s many potholes and has launched an intensive program to cover them.

In the remainder of the year, from September to December, as part of the Intensive Road Maintenance Program, the city plans to spend nearly $20 million pesos to repair the streets damaged by the rainy season.

This week Vila went to Tixcacal Opichén neighborhood to monitor road maintenance and patching.

Vila reported that city hall plans to increase the number of crews responding to reports of potholes.

The mayor added that this intensive program of road maintenance and patching also contributes to two clear objectives of the project Merida, White City:  Address citizen demands to have streets in the best possible conditions and improve the urban image of the city benefitting both those who live here and for national and international visitors and tourists.

Vila said that public resources are scarce to meet a large city in constant growth, and so the city needs citizens to work together to recover the city´s former glory.

Source: Milenio Novedades

Comments

comments