BACK from his trip from Rome, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama yesterday said he wants to have the final say in hiring consultants of the City Council.
He said this was why he transferred the budget for hiring to the Office of the Mayor in the proposed 2013 annual budget.
Rama clarified that he did not leave the item with zero funds as accused by the vice mayor.
“The hiring of their consultants will be subject to my approval. I will exercise my prerogative as mayor,” Rama told reporters.
He said the P3 million outlay for consultants in the city council was placed under his office, which explains the increase of the consultancy appropriation to P8.1 million.
The annual budget submitted to the City Council for approval is heading for a stormy deliberation.
Days earlier, Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young criticized reduced outlays under Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses.
He flared up over zero amounts for the council’s consultancy services, advertising expenses, other supplies and materials and capital outlay in the 2013 executive budget while the City Council’s travel appropriations was reduced from P1.2 million to P500,000.
Young said the council would “retaliate” and reduce the mayor’s own consultancy budget which went up from P5 million this year to P8.1 million next year.
Mayor Rama yesterday said he was prepared to share appropriations under the Office of the Mayor with the council for its advertising needs and office supplies to ensure that ordinances are published in local dailies as required by law before implementation.
Rama said he was satisfied with endorsing a P6.7 billion budget proposal for 2013 which covers “essential needs” of the city and have supplemental budgets passed later by the council “if there is available money.”
He said he decided to ask for a modest budget to address the criticism that his administration was incapable of raising revenue to support an ambitious wish list.
“There are just some programs that we have to hasten to address the needs of the people and reduce their suffering,” he said.
Rama submitted his proposed annual budget to the City Council on Oct. 16. It was referred to the budget committee headed by Councilor Margot Osmeña on Oct. 24. Since she’s abroad, hearings will have to wait until Osmeña returns from the United States.
She is accompanying her husband, Cebu City south district Rep. Tomas Osmeña for his medical checkup, a necessary routine after he suffered from cancer of the urinary bladder.