Scicli and the controversy over the damages caused by Cyclone Harry, the Municipality responds to Councillor Buscema

The Municipality responds to the allegations circulated in recent hours regarding the emergency measures ordered after the passage of cyclone Harry, attributed to the municipal councilor of Italia Viva, Marianna Buscema. In a statement, the administration clarifies the scope of the facts and the applicable regulations.

"Regarding some allegations spread in the past hours and circulated by a municipal councilor about the emergency measures after cyclone Harry, it is necessary to restore the correct interpretation of the facts and the regulatory framework that governs the so-called emergency measures."

"The interventions related to the damage caused by cyclone Harry - it is clarified - are not the result of a discretionary choice by the mayor or the council, but stem from technical procedures provided by law. In particular, in cases of emergency, the responsible service manager prepares the emergency report and orders the immediate necessary interventions to remove situations of danger or harm to public safety. This is exactly what happened in this case: the competent official drafted a regular emergency report, operating within the terms and according to the methods provided by current regulations."

"Subsequently, as established by art. 194 of the Consolidated Law on Local Authorities, the City Council is called to recognize the off-budget debt arising from emergency works, a mandatory step to allow the accounting regularization of the expenses incurred to address the emergency. Therefore, these are not arbitrary political choices nor decisions made by the mayor, but the application of a procedure provided by law to ensure immediate interventions in emergency situations. Attributing political responsibility to the mayor for acts that fall within the technical-administrative sphere of officials means misrepresenting the functioning of the administrative machine."

"The City Council is called, as required by law, to perform its institutional role by recognizing the necessary expenses already incurred for the protection of the territory and the safety of citizens. Regarding the funds taken from the tourist tax, they will be replenished as soon as the Region allocates the compensations to the Municipality. This is merely a prepayment and not a diversion of funds. In delicate moments for the city, it would be desirable for political dialogue to develop in accordance with the rules and institutional roles, avoiding reconstructions that risk generating confusion in public opinion."