Messina and the resources intercepted since 2018

The debate on money does not excite citizens and voters much. The budget figures of a local authority are a dry matter, at most the object of attention by professionals. Yet, behind those numbers lies the strategic planning of a city and its territory. For better or for worse. And so, after the controversy over the events of the economic-financial rebalancing plan, the spotlight of the electoral campaign shifts to the resources intercepted by the Municipality of Messina in recent years and the use of extra-budgetary funds.

Federico Basile, during a press conference together with the outgoing deputy mayor Salvatore Mondello and the former general director Salvo Puccio, claims to his council, and to the De Luca Administration, the historical merit of having brought sums never seen before, over a billion euros, to the banks of the Strait. But the center-right mayoral candidate Marcello Scurria intervenes on the topic with several critical ideas.

Basile: “Administrative continuity is not an option, but an indispensable condition to complete the change”

«We are used to running fast and forgetting the path we have taken, but it is essential to always remember the starting point of a city that lost funds because it did not have the conditions to be able to invest them or to plan works and interventions». This is the premise of Basile’s speech on “Messina and strategic planning from 2018 to today”. «This is a total amount of over 1 billion and 312 million euros, which have been spent or are in the process of being spent, in compliance with deadlines and with the obtaining of large reward margins in national and European programmes. The EU finances member states through structured lines of intervention, based on objectives and strategic axes, with funds that must be programmed, spent and reported. A now consolidated system, which continues to evolve and for which the 2028-2033 programming is already underway, which represents a fundamental lever for the development of the territory. From 2018 to today – continues the former mayor – the Municipality has benefited from important financing lines, including: 160 million euros of Pon Metro 2014-2020, 54 million of Poc 2014-2020, 190 million of Pon Plus 2021-2027; 33 million Urban Agenda Funds; 335 million Fsc 2014-2021; 205 million in Pnrr funds, 175 million in Pnrr funds from the metropolitan city and 36 million in funds from the MIT and the Sicilian Region. Resources that have made it possible to guarantee services, carry out works and build development prospects for the city. These data do not represent a political issue – adds Basile – but administrative capacity. A significant example is represented by the 2014-2020 Pon Metro funds, which in 2018 were blocked and which the Administration managed to recover and spend in full. Today the 2014-2020 programming has been fully implemented, while the 2014-2020 Poc has reached 85% progress and the new lines are being implemented. The spending capacity of the Municipality of Messina is now in line and, in some cases, higher than the average of metropolitan cities. Correct management of the funds has also generated economic rewards, allowing further resources to be obtained. Among these, those linked to Pon Plus and complementary programs. A result made possible by the quality of the design and the reporting capacity.” Regarding the Pnrr, «Messina has invested resources for the safety of schools, infrastructure, water networks and the quality of life. Among the most relevant projects, the “Pinqua-National Innovative Program for the Quality of Living, for which Messina was the first city in Italy for funding”. And on the “Pinqua” Mondello underlines that “the project, initially planned for 10 years, was remodulated, due to the Pnrr constraints, in 3 years and 3 months, still achieving concrete results, because over 60% of the expenditure has already been carried out”. Basile again: “Messina is in the condition to complete the investments and continue planning. Administrative continuity is not an option, but an indispensable condition for completing the change!

Scurria: “There is some confusion about the numbers and origins of the funding”

On the topic, as mentioned, Marcello Scurria intervenes: «I register a certain confusion about the numbers and the true origins of the financing. The 160 million from the Pon Metro were not “intercepted by Basile”: they had already been assigned during the Accorinti syndicate and were completely reprogrammed by Carlotta Previti, complete with an exemption requested from the European Commission for housing rehabilitation. The only current data, unfortunately, is the loss of approximately half of the endowment due to inability to spend. Ditto for the Poc Metro funds which are not 54 million but 47, also previously assigned to Accorinti and reprogrammed by Previti. The 7 million mentioned are not new funds, but part of the original endowment. The 33 million from the Urban Agenda were assigned in 2018, therefore by law, not “intercepted” in 2022 by Basile. Here too, the only significant expenditure dates back to the previous Administration, while today they are largely missing. We will clarify this with documents in hand. The 335 million of the Masterplan were assigned by law during the Renzi government and the Accorinti union. To date, over 127 million have been lost. The 205 million of the Pnrr were obtained during the previous De Luca administration thanks to Previti. At this point, the question is simple: which funds did the Basile Administration really intercept? The truth is that in recent years Messina has been discarded and marginalized. Because from the documents it appears that, in these 4 years, not only has not a single new euro been intercepted, but that over 500 million have been lost due to inability to spend”.