According to Sára Botond, Budapest government representative and former mayor of the district: if the Pikos want to save money, it would be worthwhile to cut out of the more than seventy consulting contracts that the district's leadership considers necessary for their operation.
Deteriorating public safety, a suspicious sailing company, a secret investigation report and a tax increase in addition to a record-high budget - the decline of Józsefváros is proceeding at breakneck speed under the left-wing city leadership.
Last week, the left-wing majority in Józsefváros voted for a motion that imposes a HUF 300 million tax burden on the residents of the district. The proposal is signed by Mayor András Pikó, and it includes an increase in the building tax, land tax, tourism tax and the municipal tax for private individuals. The Fidesz-KDNP faction protested, to no avail.
The Pikos justified the tax increase by saying that the district needs stable and predictable revenues that retain their real value, that is, local taxes must be adjusted to market prices. In addition, the left-wing city administration claims that the government took away part of the district's resources during the epidemic, so compensation is necessary for reliable operation.
Of course, there is no mention of the fact that the government gave two billion forints to Józsefváros for the renovation of the Káptalanfüred resort owned by the municipality, nor that after the renovation, sailboats appeared on the coast, and the operating company - although it only had a three-month contract - still he sold his services one year in advance.
Source: ferencjozsef.blog.hu
The company then won the public procurement for five years under suspicious circumstances, as a result of which an investigation was launched within the municipality. However, the Pikos did not want to share the documents of this with the opposition representatives, but since not everyone liked it even within the coalition, they finally gave in.
Sára Botond told Magyar Hírlap that Józsefváros operates on a "record budget" and even has six billion HUF left over from last year. There is therefore no reason to raise taxes. He suggested: "If András Pikó absolutely wants to save money, then it would be worthwhile to cut out of the more than seventy consulting contracts that the district's management considers to be justified for their operation."
"We never built the district for ourselves, but for the residents of Józsefváros, the important thing is how they feel, and as I walk the streets of the district, I talk to them, they are not well," the politician continued. - During the civil leadership, it started to become a European city, Józsefváros. The people living here were proud of the development, public safety improved, a lot of development took place, they were proud to live in the district," explained Sára Botond.
He recalled: they had indicated before the local government election what the residents could expect if the left came to power, "but even we were surprised by how quickly the district was destroyed." The drug addicts have appeared again in the public spaces, there are again discarded syringes in the playgrounds, public safety is tragic, many people don't dare to step out into the street at night, and the homeless problem is worse than ever - detailed the former mayor. Sára Botond stated: all this is tragic in the light of the fact that the budget of the district has never been so high, the left is running on HUF 31 billion. Even during the great development period of the civic leadership, the district did not operate with more than twenty-five billion, he noted.
"If there is so little money in the district that such measures are necessary, then the question must be asked, where did the six billion forints come from?" - asked the government commissioner. He emphasized: "this also hearkens back to the Gyurcsány era, that's all they mean, carving. András Pikó and his gang should start working instead of pointing the finger at others."
Source: magyarhirlap.hu
Featured image: Sára Botond, András Pikó/MH
