Zagreb Mayor: Zagreb’s Budget is Not Blooming

Despite the bad condition of the city budget, the mayor voiced his hopes that his plans will be victorious in six months time.

The city council rejected all amendments to the proposed city budget for Zagreb in 2008, which were made by the parliamentarian clubs of HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) and HSLS (Croatian Social Liberal Party) in the city council.

The reason why Zagreb’s mayor Milan Bandic rejected the amendments “weighing” 216.3 million kuna, was that the budget was simply too tight.

- Things are not rosy, and nobody will donate 650 million kuna to us. I hope that we will be victorious in six months time – said Bandic. He also answered the press by saying that he has still not received a report on the savings plan.

More money for the Universiade than for Advent, New Year and skiing cup

On the other hand, the mayor said that the city has not spent too much money on marking the 20^th anniversary of the Universiade, which cost 550 thousand kuna. Unlike Advent, New Year’s Eve and the World Skiing Cup, meaning manifestations that take place during a month, that cost 800 thousand kuna.

- It is not too much to spend half a million kuna every twenty years to mark the Universiade, and thank God that somebody remembered to do so – said Bandic justifying his decision to the city council.

According to his words, the city was more restrictive when authorizing funds for Advent and the Skiing Cup, because he considers that the citizens want more “careful” spending during Advent.