Councils want autonomy and full-time mayors, in meeting with President

President George Vella listened to several proposals by local councils that included greater autonomy fir councils, the strengthening of human resources, as well as the engagement of mayors on a full-time basis.

He appealed to the local councils to leave partisan politics aside, and work together in a civil and respectful manner for the benefit of the residents in need and reminded them that they have a role to play in the interest of unity in the country.

A series of meetings were held in recent weeks between the President and the mayors and regional representatives from all over Malta and Gozo.

He noted how useful these meetings were, as he listened to the concerns of the citizens and to the ideas on how the work of the councils can be further improved.

“Basically, despite the particular characteristics of each locality, the challenges conveyed were very similar to each other. These included the protection of the natural environment, overdevelopment, the integration of communities of foreigners among us, waste collection, the coordination with governmental entities and, above all, the role and power of local councils in the current dynamic context,” said the President.

He added that although he has no legislative power, he will be conveying the proposals to the relevant authorities.