Talks end deadlock over Phuket mayor's budget

[webfact]

Talks end deadlock over Phuket mayor's budget
The Phuket News


V/Gov Sommai: Success.

PHUKET: -- Closed-door negotiations yesterday (August 26), refereed by Vice-Governor Dr Sommai Preechasilpa, broke the deadlock over budget that has seen new Patong Mayor Chalermluk Kabsap unable to deploy funds for anything she wanted to do.

The deadlock began shortly after her election when the Patong Municipal Council, dominated by acolytes of her rival in the polls, former mayor Pian Keesin, voted against her proposed budget of B449 million.

In the negotiations at the Patong Municipality building yesterday were seven mmbers of the council and seven members of Ms Chalermluk’s management team, plus Dr Sommai.

Mayor Chalermluk herself was not present.

There was a fair amount of coming and going, with council members exiting from time to time to call “someone”. At one stage Dr Sommai was asked to leave the room for about 30 minutes while some finer points were negotiated.

“The atmosphere in the meeting wasn’t combative,” Dr Sommai said after the meeting came to an agreement. “Representatives from the Patong council team and [the mayor’s] management team agreed to step back [from confrontation] for [the sake of] living together.

“After the discussions, the B449 million was cut by B5 million, and other projects costing nearly B5 million were proposed,” she added.

The cuts agree to were:

Cleaning, cut from B8 million to B7 million.

Garbage transport cost, cut from B5 million to B4 million.

Budget for the traditional Patong Festival at the beginning of the high season cut from B7 million to B4 million.

It is proposed that the savings should be applied to canal dredging (up from B1 million to B2.5 million) and installation of traffic lights on Patong Hill (B4 million).

Dr Sommai said, “They agreed that this is the best way forward for Patong, and all of council will now vote in favour of the adjusted 2015 budget.”

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/talks-end-deadlock-over-phuket-mayor%E2%80%99s-budget-48059.php


-- Phuket News 2014-08-27

[BigC]

So am I right that Thailand is running out of money with this crack down ???

[Guest]

So am I right that Thailand is running out of money with this crack down ???

The amount remained the same. 5M dropped and 5M proposed.

[BigC]

Sorry too many numbers for me but did the mayor as for 449 million

And settled for 5 million ?

[Old Croc]

So, the former Mayor's cronies saw what happened in Phang Na, decided they should stop sulking about their boss losing his job and start doing theirs before they also got booted by the Gov,

[Old Croc]

So am I right that Thailand is running out of money with this crack down ???

No.

[Old Croc]

Sorry too many numbers for me but did the mayor as for 449 million

And settled for 5 million ?

No.

[JesseFrank]

Cleaning, cut from B8 million to B7 million.

Garbage transport cost, cut from B5 million to B4 million.

Budget for the traditional Patong Festival at the beginning of the high season cut from B7 million to B4 million.

It is proposed that the savings should be applied to canal dredging (up from B1 million to B2.5 million) and installation of traffic lights on Patong Hill (B4 million).

I can see they have their priorities right. Cleaning and garbage collection isn't important, but traffic lights that probably never will be switched on are on the top of the agenda.

[steelepulse]

Cleaning, cut from B8 million to B7 million.

Garbage transport cost, cut from B5 million to B4 million.

Budget for the traditional Patong Festival at the beginning of the high season cut from B7 million to B4 million.

It is proposed that the savings should be applied to canal dredging (up from B1 million to B2.5 million) and installation of traffic lights on Patong Hill (B4 million).

I can see they have their priorities right. Cleaning and garbage collection isn't important, but traffic lights that probably never will be switched on are on the top of the agenda.

It would be nice if we could see the actual budget ( and where the easiest to skim off funds is) as well as there being some oversight committee on the allocation and spending of funds. Obviously Pian didn't have these things as dolphin statues and Patong City signs got railroaded through at enormous expense ( but at a very small cost).

[LivinginKata]

I can see they have their priorities right. Cleaning and garbage collection isn't important, but traffic lights that probably never will be switched on are on the top of the agenda.

Nothing much to skim off their own services. Much to skim off new acquisitions.

The existing two sets of traffic lights (each end of middle road) have not been switched on for years.

[belg]

would have been nice for a water purification system to clean the clongs, because now people are swimming in nothing more than what other people at the last day , aka S H I T

[Oziex1]

So much black money and so little for public services and decent infrastructure.

[LivinginKata]

would have been nice for a water purification system to clean the clongs, because now people are swimming in nothing more than what other people at the last day , aka S H I T

Supposed to be some sort of system to clean the clong water from Nanai. We have been paying an extra tax these last 2 years for this 'system'.

[steelepulse]

would have been nice for a water purification system to clean the clongs, because now people are swimming in nothing more than what other people at the last day , aka S H I T

Supposed to be some sort of system to clean the clong water from Nanai. We have been paying an extra tax these last 2 years for this 'system'.

I have a good idea where that system is, in the pockets of the ex mayor.

[LivinginKata]

would have been nice for a water purification system to clean the clongs, because now people are swimming in nothing more than what other people at the last day , aka S H I T

Supposed to be some sort of system to clean the clong water from Nanai. We have been paying an extra tax these last 2 years for this 'system'.

I have a good idea where that system is, in the pockets of the ex mayor.

Maybe not - I think (?) there is some sort of crude filter/skimmer at the bridge just next to the Honda Dealership. I've looked but I don't see any fancy technical equipment. I think that extra tax is a big scam.

[steelepulse]

would have been nice for a water purification system to clean the clongs, because now people are swimming in nothing more than what other people at the last day , aka S H I T

Supposed to be some sort of system to clean the clong water from Nanai. We have been paying an extra tax these last 2 years for this 'system'.

I have a good idea where that system is, in the pockets of the ex mayor.

Maybe not - I think (?) there is some sort of crude filter/skimmer at the bridge just next to the Honda Dealership. I've looked but I don't see any fancy technical equipment. I think that extra tax is a big scam.

That's exactly my point. 20% gets allocated to the actual project, while 80% disappears. Hence all the shoddy work and the need to repair things all the time as the skim is huge on original project. Then, more skim on the repair job. Wash, rinse, repeat.

[Benmart]

So am I right that Thailand is running out of money with this crack down ???

It would be a guess IMO.

This session was closed door and I've not seen any public disclosure of expenditures versus revenue collected from the last budget.

It will be interesting to wait and watch.