Guadalajara Mayor Enrique Alfaro gave his first state-of-the-municipality report (informe) this week, underscoring the substantial savings his “austerity programs” have achieved.
In just under 12 months, the municipal debt has been reduced by 25 percent and austerity measures have saved the city a staggering 600 million pesos ($US31 million), he bragged.
Alfaro boasted that robberies of homes, businesses and persons have decreased under his watch, although he acknowledged that car thefts and homicides have increased or remained the same.
The mayor blamed decades of bad government, lack of opportunities and social decomposition for the high crime rates, saying his administration cannot fix in 12 months problems that have been neglected for 30 years.
Alfaro also urged Jalisco Governor Aristoteles Sandoval not to brush under the carpet the 30 denuncias (complaints) of corruption that his administration has filed against previous city employees.
In keeping with their policies, all four metro-area municipalities governed by the fledgling Citizens Movement (CM) party – Guadalajara, Zapopan, Tlajomulco and Tlaquepaque – staged austere informes, without invited guests and with no funds spent on radio, television or newspaper advertising.