Mayors, members of the Romanian Cities Association complain that the government took over a series of taxes without a compensation strategy. The mayors, present at a meeting organized by the Association together with Interior minister Cristian David accuse the government of underfunding city halls. At his turn, Cristian David argues that city halls will receive significant financial aid once the de-centralization plan will be implemented, starting with 2009.
Interior minister Cristian David says that mayors need to set up a strategy to attract European funds in order to accommodate their financial needs. He points towards European programs like the Regional Operational Program which offers important financial support.
Mayors in various cities are dissatisfied with the fact that several important local taxes are collected by the central administration. They argue that at least the VAT tax should be part of local budgets so that City Halls could take a significant stand locally.
