Lagoa council has decided to save money by keeping its traditional Christmas displays of Santas, reindeer and lights in the warehouse, saying that traders and households ought to brighten the place up themselves.
The Scrooge council’s reason is that the money saved will go to help the needy, so traders expecting a bright and cheerful high street to attract shoppers will wait in vain.
Council chiefs reckon the savings will be ‘tens of thousands of euros’ demonstrating that there was no budget agreed and hence no set figure to distribute to the poor.
"Because the executive took office not long ago and had not had the opportunity to examine the entire process related to the festive illuminations, this year Lagoa will not have the usual Christmas decorations and lights" read the miserly statement from the municipality, led by Francisco Martins.
Despite Christmas lights being a tradition, "the current economic situation in general, and in the municipality of Lagoa in particular, does not allow, at least for this year, expenses that may be considered non-priority," said the new Socialist mayor.
"The council will save tens of thousands of euros which can be channeled toward goals to support families in difficulty."
There will be no New Year fireworks either, which is more understandable as these are expensive, but leaving the streets bare of even the basic Christmas decorations may be to the economic disadvantage of local rate paying shopkeepers as shoppers go elsewhere.
The Mayor of Lagoa made an appeal for shopkeepers and the general public to decorate and illuminate the council area for Christmas and New Year, "putting lights and decorations in the windows of their shops, as well as the windows of homes."
During the festive period the council promises, in partnership with associations and parish councils, to make "all possible efforts to provide social support to needy families."
If local organisations do indeed receive a bonus grant from Lagoa council to support poor families this Christmas then this action will not have been in vain. If the savings are not to be passed on, this is a different matter.
