I take the title of my article from the commentary of an Anglo-Cypriot visitor to the beach of Agia Thekla, who has been visiting the beach of Agia Thekla for the last 20 years, and concerned the obvious changes in this beach, but also in the general coastal area. A project for which I receive daily congratulations from residents of Sotira but also foreigners.
On the occasion of various rumors circulating in cafes, where certain people have not accepted and respected the verdict of the majority of Sotira voters and use inaccuracies and lies to hurt the Mayor, delighted as they repeat their inaccuracies, I wanted to mention a few performed in the Municipality of Sotira.
I have said other times that the Mayor's office is always open to any well-meaning judge, but some envision that what they failed to do in the elections, they will do now, during my term, using various lies, forgetting that the lie has short legs.
The only thing they succeed in is to cause irreparable damage to the Municipality of Sotiras, for which they show - supposedly - their love and share promises for progress and development of the Municipality, while on the contrary they put a tripod on the endless working hours of the Municipality, Municipal Councilors and staff. for the change and development - finally - of the Savior.
Those who live and live in Cyprus recognize that the economic situation is not good at all, and the state is constantly making new cuts. The inability of the central state to contribute to the finances of the Municipalities, leads the Municipalities to make up for the cuts. So, with simple finances, what remains is to increase revenues and reduce costs, as a regular tactic in private companies but also in modern public management that promotes Municipalities to operate as autonomous and competitive units, to avoid any merger risks. or their abolition. This is what the Municipality of Sotiras applies.
We have invested in the coastal area of Sotira, not arbitrarily and spontaneously, as many imagine, but after dozens of views and suggestions of professionals, decorators, and civil engineers, who almost non-profitably provided their important services, for the good and progress of Sotira and because they are friends of our Municipality.
We have finally created a beach restaurant, which has been a popular demand for decades and of which we can be proud. We installed services on the beach, which are used daily by bathers and repaired the lifeguard tower. From the very first year we recorded four times more income compared to other years, before we even managed to advertise our area as a tourist attraction.
The former ambassador of Cyprus to the United Kingdom and current rector of the University of Nicosia performed - and others will follow - the wedding of his child, excited about the restaurant and the services we offer. There is already increased interest and bookings are multiplied by important personalities of the capital but also by dozens of offices with which we cooperate for the performance of civil weddings.
Without hiding behind our finger and with simple numbers, since "clear sky is not afraid of lightning", according to the popular saying, the rent for the restaurant amounts to the not insignificant amount of 42 thousand euros per year, while in previous years it was - if we received it - only 12 thousand, that is, we will contribute with an additional 30 thousand to the funds of our Municipality annually.
The income from the beds and the umbrellas in the previous years amounted to 12 thousand euros, an amount which we have already far exceeded, as a result of which we expect to receive more than 35 thousand euros this year. Another 23 thousand euros in addition to the funds of the Municipality.
From the Civil Weddings that take place on the beach, and with the original idea to use the rocks as a backdrop in several places (and let's see how many will copy us in the coming years), which excite young couples, out of 50 we put in our budget for 2013, we exceeded 100 from the very first year of operation of the Department. In a recent discussion with a high-ranking CTO official, and with the sending of statistics from Civil Marriages, there was a big question on his part, how we managed in just one year to win important agreements with Civil Marriage Agencies from England, Russia and other countries and to lay the foundations for the promotion of wedding tourism in our Municipality. All this, as it is obvious, is not done from the chairs of the cafes, but with hard work by the employees and some municipal councilors, with long appointments and presentations in front of demanding customers and with entrepreneurial and marketing skills.
Populism, lust for the past, adolescence and verbalism lead nowhere. Only hard work can create growth opportunities in a Municipality and lead to such difficult times jobs, with which more than 15 people found work.
I also hear a lot about the cost of investing in the beach. Suffice it to say that the plan that existed from the previous Community Council included only the restaurant on the beach and nothing else! Also, the dysfunctional design and expensive design of the restaurant was costed at € 789.562, without the furniture and equipment! Really, when could our Municipality pay for a restaurant of one million? Instead, we built the new restaurant, with better design, with exactly the same capacity and with just € 339.021. The services on the two new beaches cost 75 thousand euros each.
There are many more details that will be explained accurately and with every detail in the Pandemic that will be held soon. Because I believe that when you assume the position of Mayor you must be open to any bona fide reviews, opinions and suggestions, and on the other hand be so clear that you are ready with numbers and proofs to answer any questions. For this reason we have organized two Pandemic Gatherings so far and in the coming months we will organize on Tuesday. For the same reason, the door of my office is open every day despite the huge workload and despite the lack of time, devoting day and night to work in the office and long appointments for the progress of our Municipality.
Because those who believe that the Municipality belongs to the Mayor, then they are laughing. The Municipality belongs to the citizens, to every citizen regardless of political beliefs. We are doing projects that will remain in the next generations and I am struggling to see my Municipality progress, without having any other ambition or any interest from all this.
Regarding the two new beaches, I accept the fact that this year they did not work due to the complaints that did not allow us to do what the Municipal Council unanimously decided. They will work, however, next year and let some people not worry, since we already have proposals for their exploitation with very good incomes. Let us not forget the miserable situation of the coastal front of Sotira in the past years and how the various services of the Capital treated us - and still do. There was - proven - the consistent policy for non-development of Sotira beach. Hence the planning of the coastal area without services, the inclusion of Sotira in the decree for non-construction of hotels - although there was no other hotel in the area - the inclusion in the Natura 2000 zone along the entire length of our coastline (letter to which was not objected to in 2010 when they were informed), the expropriations next to the Liopetri River, and the inclusion of the Liopetri River area in a National Park! As a highlight, and while for others there is nothing wrong with the interventions on the beaches from Polis Chrysochous to Kapparis, they found Sotira to be accused of allegedly "interfering in the natural environment and in the protection zone of the beach". Let the gentlemen who accuse the complaints tell us about whether permits have been given anywhere else in Cyprus for the buildings under construction on the beaches. And the answer comes from the official mouths of the District Administration: "Nowhere"! And yet, they show all the austerity in Sotira, as the scapegoat, with the residents and contractors of the coastal area fearing that the development will cut off their illegalities and their terrace overlooking the sea. Really, how will a Municipality become financially independent if it cannot take advantage of its territorial assets?
The unfortunate and sad thing is that some in their thirst for power and in their attempt to hurt the Mayor, hurt the Municipality itself, the Citizens themselves, from whom they will then ask for a vote of confidence. What service do they offer to the Municipality? With sadness I see others spitting on them and others licking where they spat.
Nevertheless, I pledged from my election campaign that I would be the Mayor of all the Citizens of Sotira. For this reason I have included in every committee of the Municipality people from all factions. Eight people I respected and still respect the same regardless of whether they accuse me or not. I gave eight municipal councilors the opportunity to make equal decisions, to freely express their opinion which is completely respected, and there is -at last- the right to pluralism in our Municipality. And I am absolutely proud that all the decisions of the Municipal Council, as one can refer to the Minutes that are with free access to our website, are taken unanimously. The congratulations that we receive daily for the rapid development of Sotira do not belong only to the Mayor, but to the Municipal Council as a whole, which in its unanimous decision (Minutes 1/2013 and 9/2013), mobilized for the immediate development of its coastal front. Savior and we succeeded. By preparing the complete and detailed plan for our coastal area, we will collect what in so many years we have not been able to collect, we will win (and we are already winning) new jobs, and increase the income for the Municipality and our citizens.
Some people like to recall the old ones, the proposals for the construction of a new stadium, the non-existent money, the sponsorship (as if the tap of the Municipality has dried up), loans and projects of the City Hall. Even for the overdraft that was done for welfare purposes they have to say, regardless of whether there was also the time of the Community Council, the same amount as overdraft.
As I mentioned in a previous statement, the Municipal Council has received 612 thousand euros, of which in fact we owed the Community Council 200 thousand to creditors, which we repaid two months later. The remaining amount of 412 thousand was the same as the loans we received that amounted to 420 thousand. Even this year, with so many projects, we will end up with the same amount in our coffers and around 200 thousand only for the remaining loans. But what matters is to save money in the bank, or to proceed with planned projects that will bring you double and triple income?
What every citizen should understand is that a Municipality is essentially a business and those who have knowledge of Business Administration and Finance know that no business saves in the bank, like a family that saves money for the future of its children. The goal of businesses is investments and projects. And in the case of the Municipalities, the goal is the public benefit projects, which will offer more development to the Municipality, greater prosperity to the Citizens and more jobs. After all, it is much easier to do absolutely nothing, absolutely no work, to keep money in the bank and to feel proud of it. But is this the substance? Is this the right Mayor? Or is the right Mayor the one who must have the strength and the fist, despite all the difficulties and populism, to take the big risk and the difficult decisions in order to succeed in creating opportunities for development and prosperity in his Municipality?
Regarding the questions about the freezing of the New Municipal Stadium, I will only mention that the maintenance of the existing Municipal Stadium, which is a small stadium, amounts to 70 thousand euros per year! I boldly ask every rational citizen of Sotira if in such difficult times we need a second larger Municipal Stadium, if we have the ability to maintain it, if we have the financial ability to build it and if we have teams to use it? Sotira so far has a team of B 'category and a team of Agrotiko, that the existing stadium is enough. Or do we have to build a new stadium to be seen and to say that we are implementing projects? A good entrepreneur must "count his beans" before each step, make a strategic plan, weigh the pros and cons of a project and if he counts more negatives than positives, then discard an unsustainable plan and move on. other solutions. We have already proposed to the Cyprus Sports Organization a long time ago, based on its new regulations and plans for the construction of regional stadiums, the construction of a regional stadium for classical sports and for the CMO to bear the full cost. For this purpose, other neighboring communities and Municipalities that have realized the spirit of cooperation, agree for the construction of a large Stadium of Classic Sports throughout the province of Famagusta centered on Sotira, funded by the COM and maintained by all Municipalities and Communities.
There are and will continue to be many things that could be done for the development of our Municipality. Soon they will be completed and shelters will be placed for the bus stops in the center of the Municipality, as they entered the coastal area. A wireless network for internet access (WiFi) has already been installed on the beach of Agia Thekla, as we promised, while it is about to be installed in the center of the Municipality. We have organized the Departments of the Municipality and we are organizing the institution of the Neighborhood Observer, the Youth Council, the Abroad Council, the Tourism Committee. We have helped to highlight the colocasia, for which the dossier is already to be published in the European Union to be registered as a Product with a Designation of Origin (earlier than the halloumi), the plots for needy families are progressing, the new expansion of the Cemetery for which the plans were completed, we will start within the month with the works for the Sewerage System, with the soil of which we will help to create the track for the motorcyclists. We have a further reduction in fees for garbage, since previously the bills were € 505 (€ 240 Community Services plus € 265 garbage), while now they amount to only € 230 while next year we made efforts and will be reduced to € 200. We are also moving forward with the issue of Twinning with the Municipality of Zacharos, which is a program of the European Union from which we will put funds from the European Funds, we have our own website, a great newspaper and quality cultural events and so much more. .
Every rational person has the ability to reject the short-sighted bad faith critics and to see with a positive eye the works that are being done in Sotira but also how the image of the Municipality has changed to the outside. For the "infidel Thomas" and the "populists of the cafe" who thirst for scandals and conspiracies, there will always be evidence to stun them. The truth (even if they do not want to accept it) is that the Savior has changed! The Savior, as we hear people from all over Cyprus say every day, has changed for the better, she has progressed and is growing! And all this change is embraced by the people and they show it to us in practice through the manifestations of admiration and through the written or oral messages that we receive.
Lies, cooking, digging, non-existent rumors, envy and jealousy for the loss of power, disappear immediately in the face of the glow of truth. What remains are the works. Of any kind and in any field. What remains is the work, the work, the dignity and the ethos that characterizes each person. So let everyone judge freely after three and a half years in the elections. All the decisions of the Municipal Council are posted on the website of the Municipality and everyone can see them and be informed in every detail.
Another example of misinformation is this: When the Municipality came out in offers for the purchase of a single-cab vehicle, some people had spread that the Municipality would buy a luxury limousine. Even for the Mayor's salary, some people in the cafes had spread that it was a huge amount, as if our salary is not based on legislation and everyone is paid what they want. In fact, I get paid less than a low-paid City Hall employee if someone thinks I'm in my office from early in the morning until late at night, working like the rest of the office staff. And to those I mention the amount of my salary, they wonder how some people make fun of them that I am paid 6 and 8 thousand per month and that I am still the highest paid Mayor! They must finally know, for the sake of transparency alone, that I get exactly two thousand six hundred euros net (€ 2600). The issue is, what work does everyone offer depending on the money they get. The most important thing is with what person the person who spread all these false rumors will ask for the vote the next day, the vote of his neighbor!
For me, friends, a serious and important strategic goal is the construction of the first hotel in the coastal area of Sotira. As for the rest, we will fight with all the necessary strength to have at the end of the five years huge and leaping changes for the better, despite the financial adversity.
Let us, therefore, put aside personal ambitions and intolerances, let us not become pentaphalangists in the development of our Municipality, and let us focus on development which, although it has no personal benefit to offer, will be a legacy for children and our grandchildren, who will live in a developed and progressive society. Elections are the last thing on my mind right now and my last concern, in the face of the serious issues we have to deal with, So let's stop thinking only about elections, let us stop caring only about our own interests and our development in the political life of the Savior, let us stop the discords, the jealousy and the lies and let us all roll up our sleeves together Sotirkates to change our Municipality for the better. People see and judge to what extent each of us offers.