Final turns of the clock for the Rome electoral campaign close to the call to the polls. These days the challenge between the candidates Nino Cirinosupported by the list “Live Rometta”And Melania Messinasupported by the list “Generation Rometta 2024”was fueled by lively discussions, meetings with citizens, proposals and ideas.
Nino Cirino, outgoing deputy mayor, 58 years old, financial consultant, spoke about himself and spoke with his smile and enthusiasm.
For months his name as a candidate for mayor had been circulating in the town and in a large area.
Did you expect the choice of your group to fall on you?
I honestly didn't expect it. There were many citizens who were rooting for me, but I didn't realize that I was the chosen one within the group. Until the end there was also talk of the possibility of a third term for our mayor Nicola Merlino. However, I was happy to receive this immense trust from my “Vivi Rometta” team.
For eight years he was part of the Merlino administration and for the last two he was also deputy mayor. Will possible unionization be an almost automatic and natural step for you?
I admit that I have always been in close contact with the citizens and experience the area every day. I receive a lot of calls and meet a lot of people, listen to their requests and always looked for a quick resolution. I like listening to them and feeling close to them.
What were the delegations that you felt were most yours?
First of all, the delegation to public education. Being with the younger ones gives me joy. A good relationship has been created with the students. Many kids today stop me on the street and repeat my slogan “I'm always there”. For them I am almost like a guardian angel, I followed them not only in the structural works, but above all in communication. The school for me is a family, also thanks to the close collaboration with the director Emilia Arena, her collaborators and teachers. The other delegation is that relating to taxes. We have promoted social equity, respecting civic education and legality, drastically reducing tax evasion. This meant that the Tari was the least expensive of all the Sicilian municipalities and saved us from the various annual increases. We have only suffered physiological increases, due to the costs of waste disposal. When we took office, only 35 percent of citizens paid taxes, we have reduced tax evasion to just 5%. Furthermore, with home composters, there are considerable savings and our Municipality has received several awards in this sector. It is no coincidence that we have reached the record percentage of 87% of separate waste collection.
What was the most difficult period of these years?
Certainly the one linked to the Covid pandemic, but even in that critical situation, thanks to the collaborations of voluntary associations, civil protection and the help of many seamstresses who made the masks for free, we managed to overcome those sad and dark moments .
What were the works created that contributed to Rometta's growth?
Rometta center has been and is in the midst of a vast program of valorization of architectural and cultural heritage, with the recovery of the Saracen caves begun in 2014. All important interventions, including the safety of the various ridges. What gave impetus to tourism was at the same time the establishment of the Pro Loco led by Giovanni Arnò, which activated a significant circuit of visits. In the space of 5 years over 15 thousand visitors. We have recovered the library and created many spaces and cultural meetings, such as the literary Cenacolo.
Purifier and parking are among the hot topics of this electoral campaign.
We have finally obtained a loan of 8 million for the Rometta purifier, which has been included in the Development and Cohesion Fund (FSC). However, a project that has already been underway for many years. Regarding traffic regulations, there is always room for improvement but we are not denying anything.
What can you tell us about the construction of the roundabout near the A20 toll booth and the connection to the sea axis?
There was a public debate and everyone had the opportunity to speak. I want to overcome this moment and collaborate with the various bodies to resolve the problems.
If you were to become the next mayor of Rometta, what is the first thing you would do?
Continue to be among people: more on the street than in the building. Always keep the principles of legality and the general interests of the community at the forefront. It will be a great responsibility to be mayor. We will continue in the wake of territorial planning and available resources. Thanks to the process of the Beach Plan and that of the Pug, which we shared with the Council, we will plan new works, from the redevelopment of the seafront to the inclusion of a cycle path. We have done a lot for Rometta, but we will still do much more.
