Mayors angry about funding
Greece?s mayors are due to meet on Thursday, 24 hours after scheduled talks with Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, to decide whether to take any protest action over further cuts to their budgets.
The mayor of the Athens district of Rendi, Giorgos Ioakeimidis (photo), told Skai TV on Friday that mayors are preparing to resign en masse if they do not receive the 300 million euros they have been promised this year. The government is set to cut it by 29 percent.
Ioakeimidis is also the vice president of the Regional Union of Attica Municipalities (PEDA), which has decided to keep local authorities shut on Wednesday and Thursday to pressure on the government over the issue.
?Since 2009, we have seen our funding cut by 60 percent and now they are planning another 29 percent cut,? said Kallithea Mayor and head of the Confederation of Greek Municipalities (KEDE) Costas Askounis. ?How does the finance minister expects us to meet our needs??
