P90-M INCREASE OVER 2016

THE Dagupan City council passed the annual budget of the city for 2017 in the amount of Php 858 million, exactly a month before the start of the calendar year and avoided having to suffer a reenacted budget again at the start of the new year.

The 2017 is so far the biggest budget approved, higher by P90 million than this year’s P768-million annual budget.

Approved in a special session on Thursday, presided by Councilor Jose Netu Tamayo, assistant presiding officer, with only Councilor Redford Erfe-Mejia from the minority present, was Ordinance No. 0-591 sponsored by Councilor Jeslito C. Seen, chairman of the committee on finance and appropriations.

The voting was seven to one as Erfe-Mejia objected to the passage of the measure after failing to suspend consideration of the proposed ordinance.

The other councilors who voted in the affirmative aside from Tamayo and Seen were Maybelyn dela Cruz-Fernandez, Alvin T. Coquia, Dennis C. Canto, Marvin V. Fabia and Marcelino Fernandez.

It was learned that Erfe-Mejia earlier advised his colleagues in the minority, Councilors Luis Samson, Nicanor Aquino and Guillermo Vallejos not to attend the special session called by Mayor Belen Fernandez to act on the proposed budget.

In a last ditch effort to prevent the passage of the ordinance, Erfe-Mejia also questioned the vote of Tamayo, who he said as the presiding officer, should not have participated in the voting.

Tamayo, a lawyer, replied that as a regular member of the city council, the Local Government Code allows him to vote even in any acting capacity. Only the vice mayor, as presiding officer, is limited to vote only to break a tie.

Vice Mayor Brian Lim, the SP presiding officer, was on official business.

The early approval is in contrast to the acrimonious debate in 2016 that led to the reenactment of the 2015 when two councilors in the majority voted against the proposed budget.

The approved P858 million budget has allocated P297,556,654.67 to cover personal services, P380,529,657.83 for maintenance and other operating expenditure, P148,987,687.50 for capital outlay, and P30,926,000 for financial expenses.

The P858 million appropriation was certified by the Local Finance Committee composed of the city treasurer, budget officer, accountant and city administrator as reasonable collectible income of the city for year 2017.

Incorporated as integral part of the 2017 budget were budget documents consisting of expenditures and sources of financing; Annual Investment Program; Personnel schedule by department, office and unit; City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan; Gender and Development Plan; Local Climate Change Action Plan; and Local Development Plan for Children.

The total amount will be realized from the city’s local sources, which are tax revenue and non-tax revenue; and external sources from the city’s share from National Tax Collection or Internal Revenue Allotment amounting to P452,248,030, and share from government and controlled corporations like the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office amounting to P1,537,988.

Under tax revenue, the city aims to collect P331,655,000 and P72,558,982 in non-tax revenue. (Leonardo Micua)

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