The Sangguniang Bayan of Isabela in Negros Occidental is expected to pass the town’s 2021 annual budget in February, a councilor said today, January 29.
Councilor Francis Malabor, SB committee on finance chair , said that he expects the budget hearings to be completed by early next month.
Mayor Irene Montilla submitted the proposed P216 million budget in October last year, but they were only able to hold one hearing in November, he said.
This was because barangays, where some committee members live, were placed under lockdown while the municipal hall was also temporarily closed following positive coronavirus cases, he said.
Malabor, who was a former town mayor, said they resumed their budget hearings this January after sending three letters to the mayor’s office requesting the department heads to attend.
He said the department heads were not able to attend the hearings because they were busy. They only attended the hearing on Thursday, January 28.
They are not politicking, his committee only wants to deliberate the budget proposal thoroughly, Malabor said.
“We learned our lesson last time,” he said, pointing out that the 2020 budget failed to hit the local target income.
He also said that their SB budget was slashed by P100,000 in the 2021 proposed budget and that their recommended allocation was not included in the proposal of the mayor.
They are wondering why this was done because the town’s Internal Revenue Allotment increased this year, he said.
Earlier, Montilla lamented that the SB members have yet to act on the town’s proposed annual budget for 2021, and said the municipal government is now operating on a reenacted budget.*