Sandro Principe enjoys half -August deserved relaxation. A few days before leaving. But the rumors also give him very active for the regional ones.
Do you stay at the helm of Rende or is a candidate, perhaps at the head of the reformist area?
«I made a commitment with my city, with entrepreneurs, traders and with all the social categories that prompted me to the candidacy that was not in my programs. I remain at the service of Rende as mayor. Of course I am a reformist and I would keep that an center -left worthy of the name would return to the guidance of the region, with a program that relaunches Calabria. I am helping friends and companions a hand; We have achieved an excellent result, through a federative pact that has put together all the forces of democratic, Catholic, socialist, Risorgimento and Europeanist culture ».
One date: May 27, 2025. Triumph in Rende with over 58% of the consents. Did you expect these numbers?
“The numbers in particular are always difficult to imagine with precision but both in the previous phase of the election campaign, that for the referendum against the single city, and in the administrative election campaign it is understood and in the area there was consent towards my regard, because they believed that the city had taken a few steps back and that my person could report it makes at an important level as it has always been for many decades. A point of reference not only Calabrian but also southern ».
Immediately at work in the town hall from where it had been missing for 20 years. What sensations did you have? What situation did he find?
“By returning to those premises there was a certain emotion on my part, however both the furniture of the mayor’s room, and those where you meet, and the living room where the guests were received had been chosen by me: I immediately felt at home. The situation found in the town hall is different, in the sense that the Municipality has grown in the number of employees, the large part are new so I am busy and know them better, even if there is still some official and some manager who was in my time. The bureaucratic machine is numerically up to the time. I give you an example. When I was mayor, then, between urban planning and public works there were 7-8 employees; Now they are thirty and they say they are few. I realize that the procedures have complicated a lot and this requires more culturally and professionally equipped staff. There are the conditions for doing well. The heart of the question, in my opinion, is the relationship between administration and bureaucracy. Our programs must be shared by bureaucracy and the community in order to make a contribution. We must have the ability to make them fall in love with the things we want to do. Then, I can tell you, that I have an excellent relationship with the secretary. In my various experiences, I never changed what I found. I first had to realize who I had to do with and often the manager and the officials I found remained by my side ».
Appointment of the councilors and many “delegates”, also external. What criterion was chosen? Any too much belly pain?
“The junta responded to two criteria: as far as possible the indications of the electorate and then combine these indications with administrative capacity and professionalism. I am very happy because that climate between us that I was talking about before was truly created. We study a lot, the choices are collegiate and also ideas. It is known that, sometimes, for some things they are far ahead but I always make sure to share and socialize these hyperbole with the entire junta. We started well and it is a structure that can be trusted. For the rest, the figure of the councilor who comes to the city council to say yes or no is complicated, both because he holds the role and for the voters who have given confidence. Without prejudice to that the institutional liability, by law, is and always remains of the mayor and the junta, I try to experience the idea of the department, in the sense that I asked every adviser what you want to be interested in, exchanging ideas with the councilors. A project succeeds when it is very shared. This recipe for sharing, I wanted to strengthen it by looking at civil society. As? Choosing Opinion Leader, an operation of largest possible involvement to recreate the community and make it the protagonist of the forward leap that we want to do ».
How are the first results and first objectives make it today? Where do you want to “bring” the city?
«Immediately emergencies such as cleaning the roads where we found a very complicated situation. We have given a method and we are well underway. Same thing for bitumen, we would like to reach, in the fastest time, the intervention throughout the territory so that we then organize the routine so as not to go back. I believe that, by spring, we will fix the whole road structure of the city which is very extensive. We are participating in all the calls of ministries, such as the one for a nursery school that we will do in the Europa district and will integrate the services, since there is already a nursery school. Or the calls for the sports facilities of the schools and we are at a good point for the community house. We approved the project and the work should soon start. I was very committed to remodeling the urban agenda: finally we will complete the long-standing story of the Norman-Svevo castle and, with the addition of small figures, we will improve and activate the mobile staircase. Also to bring the registry office back to Rende, an office also for the mayor and for the administrators. In this regard, we are about to close an agreement with the bank owner of the premises, right in Piazza degli Eroi. There will be a workstation of the Town Hall with the presence of administrators and a totem, with an employee, who helps citizens. A minimarket is also expected ».
PSC, makes services, preparing, Calabra Maceri, Maggioli and tax collection. What impact was it had? What do you want to do?
«Let’s start from the PSC. It makes today does not need building. It is necessary to give a lot on public works and infrastructures and perhaps on some social problems, which are a real emergencies. I am referring to welfare, to young people. That’s why we focus on social construction and a lot on services and infrastructures. Of course, since the drawing is to make the university dialogue with the production world of our industrial area and also with companies operating in the rest of Italy, we allocate some areas to the city center to receive innovative companies and so on. We talked to Anas to start the work of the Settimo junction. And perhaps we will be able to recover a funding of six million to carry out all the works connected with the new junction. And then the question of the Union of Municipalities. We expressed ourselves during the referendum with a dry no to the unique city but we are convinced of the Union. We are studying the statutes of the municipalities of Rende, Castrolibero and Cosenza and then Montalto so that in September we could start it. At least in the most delicate sectors, from waste to water to transport, labor issues, urban supervision. With Maggioli there is a existing contract but we are trying to encourage the payment of credits, for example with the installment. I have given indications not to demand guarantee from companies and, if they do not pay for two installments, make any facility fall. For it makes services you have to make an effort to make it a company. For example, he sold some real estate that the Municipality had made available and we have given indications to buy vehicles, so that the intervention on the functions affiliated with the Municipality is more efficient but the company is also put in a position to do work outside the common. Employees? It is necessary to bring everyone to at least thirty hours but, for some tasks, this increase can also be concentrated in certain months. If a gardener works more in the summer months, he will certainly have less hours in the winter ones. With Calabra Maceri we will have to study measures that make the service even more efficient ».