On December 11, Portimão will mark its 90th anniversary as a city and a programme of cheery activities has been planned by the council to run between December 6 and 15.
Literature, theatre, music and sport will be used to ‘evoke the past, celebrate the present and, above all to project the future,’ according to the bankrupt city hall which is suffering from the financial mismanagement of previous regimes, an inability to fix the serious problems this has brought about, and the current anger from locals at the latest tax move to relieve them of even more of their money.
The mayor’s insistence that money should be raised from property owners for ‘civil defence’ has led to several protests in front of the town hall as ratepayers simply have had enough, payinga s they do one of the highest local rates levels in the region.
The council admits that €700,000 already has been raised from just 60% of ratepayers for the civil defence tax. The money was to fund the local fire service which by its own admission needs only €600,000 to function properly.
Mayor Isilda Gomes finally has admitted that the new 'civil defence' tax may have been a bit over the top and managed effortlessly to enrage her electorate further by saying that any extra money can be saved towards an emergency disaster fund 'in case there is a tsunami.'
Gomes has caused more local concern due to her election to the Socialist Party's executive as a regional representative.
Her appointment inevitably will take away precious hours that were meant to be used to sort out Portimão's financial problems, instead these will be spent on political work for her party.
Critics of Gomes' election to mayor of Portimão suggested at the time that this was a stepping stone to higher political appointment; they may yet be proved correct.
Over in Loulé the financially savvy council is to celebrate its 630 years as a municipality, the first to be recognised in Portugal.
On December 12, Loulé will have a special day with a celebration by the castle where flags will be raise and grand speeches made.
Loulé council holds every council meeting’s minutes and accounts and expenditure books from 1375 which form part of a rich collection of municipal archives.
Eighteen pigeons will be released with the names of the council members who attended the first meeting on December 12, 1384. The birds hopefully will not stray into the rich surrounding countryside and be shot.
Silves has become part of the Islamic ‘Al-Mut'amid Route’ due to the city’s Islamic origin.
The Al-Mut'amid Route aims promote the heritage of Islamic within Portugal and Spain by linking Tavira, Loulé, Albufeira, Paderne, Silves, Sagres and Lagos.
The route includes Portuguese and Spanish cities, which stand out for their history, left by Muslims which lived in Portugal for about five centuries and in southern Spanish regions for seven centuries.
The project partners are Silves and Tavira councils, the Regional Directorate for Culture, the Research Association and Protection of the Archaeological Heritage History-of Lagos and the Junta de Andalucía.
Hopefully this route will be funded, managed and promoted rather than left as a good project which later is left to wither.
