Council overrides mayors’ veto

THE City Council during Monday’s regular session overrode the veto of Mayor Mauricio Domogan on the Annual Budget of the City for 2017. The Local Chief Executive did not sign Appropriations Ordinance Numbered 72, Series of 2016 on the ground that it apparently is not in accordance with existing budgeting, accounting and auditing laws, rules and regulations. The mayor specifically cited the expenses for garbage hauling and tipping fees amounting to P75M under the General Services Office (GSO).

The council during the budget deliberation last December 29, 2016 reduced the amount for Environment/Sanitary services account in the office of the GSO for the purpose of having all contracts for garbage hauling and tipping to be submitted to the City Council for confirmation. In his veto letter, the office of the City Mayor quoted Annex B of Commission on Audit Circular No. 2015-009 dated December 01, 2015 entitled “Prescribing the Revised Chart of Accounts for Local Government Units that the Account Title of Environment/Sanitary Services with Account Code 5-02-12-010” which states that “This account is used to record the cost of services contracted/undertaken by administration for the upkeep and sanitation of the public places. This includes the cost of clean and clean program, garbage and hospital waste collection and disposal”. The veto further quantified that garbage hauling is a regular service provided by the City Government of Baguio.

The fact that the council have already authorized the expenditure specifically for garbage hauling and tipping fees in the Fiscal Year 2017 budget, it is a matter of course for the executive department thru the GSO to implement the pro-