Bucharest City Hall sets 2011 budget: funding for national stadium and key projects sacrificed due to lack of funds

Luni, 28 februarie 2011, 19:49 English | Bucharest

The General Council of Bucharest City approved on Monday the city budget for 2011, cutting 235 million lei from the amount reserved for the Lia Manoliu stadium and for the funding of major urban development projects, including the suspended highway proposed by Mayor Sorin Oprescu. Displeased with the Democratic Liberal-supported amendment in this regard, Oprescu said he would challenge the budget as it would prevent certain departments of the City Hall from functioning properly.

The draft budget was approved with 36 votes to 1 and one abstention.

Overall, it sets revenues amounting to 4.75 billion lei and spending of about 5.26 billion lei. Before approving it, Democratic Liberal Party (PDL) city councilors, who hold the majority of the council, pushed an amendment by which some 500 million lei are relocated from other projects to support subsidies to public transport and heating service providers. Some 235 million lei were thus taken away from the funds reserve for Lia Manoliu National Stadium works. Funds were also cut from major urban development projects and infrastructure projects.

PDL councilors accused that the budget version proposed by Mayor Oprescu used non-existent money and did not cover the subsidies for service providers.