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A real political-administrative case is affecting the city of Vibo Valentia around the revocation of funds for the “Light in the Suburbs” project. In response to the controversies raised by the opposition and some local newspapers, the Councilor for Social Policies intervenes to clarify the dynamics of the facts, vindicate the validity of the initiative and announce possible legal countermeasures to protect the Administration.
The value of the project and the figure of the external technician
Defined by the council as an “extraordinary and all-encompassing support” initiative for the marginal areas of the city, the plan included a vast network of institutional partnerships – including Calabrian universities, the ASP, local authorities and third sector associations – with a considerable amount of documentation produced.
To prepare the proposal, the organization relied on an external professional selected via public notice. A choice motivated by the high skills required and without impact on the municipal budget, since the technician’s compensation was tied exclusively to the actual approval of the financing.
The chronology of the facts: from the ranking to the appeals
The reconstruction provided by the Department highlights a complex procedural process that lasted almost a year:
December 2025: The Calabria Region publishes the provisional ranking, followed by a series of appeals proposed by some of the excluded bodies.
May 2026: Following the examination of the disputes, the Region issues the definitive ranking. The Municipality of Vibo Valentia is admitted and positioned in third place at a regional level, obtaining the right to the contribution.
July 2026: After the official presentation and signing of the agreement (14 July), the Municipality requests an advance of 20% of the sums to start the activities.
End of July 2026: A further appeal, forwarded this time by the Municipality of Catanzaro, pushes the regional commission to re-examine the Vibo case, finding the absence of a document considered essential. To the Region’s protests on 27 July, the Municipality responded by forwarding its deductions on 31 July.
3 September 2026: The determination of the Calabria Region arrives which officially decrees the revocation of the financing.
The reaction of the council and the legal actions
Having distanced himself from the accusations made by the council minority and from some press reconstructions which spoke of a “deserted municipal machine”, the Councilor reiterates his bitterness over the incident but confirms the firmness of the Administration’s line.
The municipal technicians are currently working to analyze the revocation documents: the objective is to verify the existence of the conditions for a possible challenge to the provision before the TAR, with the declared aim of protecting the interests of the Authority and the local community.