The Colima City government is staying proactive as it approaches the New Year celebrations, ensuring the usual garbage collection services remain uninterrupted on December 31 and January 1. Mayor Riult Rivera announced the continuity of this service during these festive days, highlighting the need for residents to participate actively by placing their waste out at the designated times.
Despite the festivities and the increase of waste generated during New Year’s celebrations, the mayor assured the community of the commitment made to maintain the public services. On January 1, which is regarded as a holiday, public services, including garbage collection, will operate as usual, with collection vehicles following their regular routes.
"We ask the populace to respect the established schedules for the collection trucks so we can keep our city clean," Rivera encouraged, acknowledging the expected uptick of garbage during New Year’s celebrations.
This positive approach extends beyond waste collection, as the government of the state of Colima has recently allocated fiscal support of 75,000 pesos each to 27 civil society organizations (CSOs), amounting to over two million pesos overall. This initiative aims to bolster such organizations' charitable work within the community.
The event, led by state secretaries of Planning, Finance, and Administration, and of Social Inclusion and Women, was well-received by the CSOs, with Viridiana Valencia Vargas of Sebiinsom expressing satisfaction with their efforts and commitment to support more organizations than the previous year.
"The goal is to reach more people; we are here to coordinate with you to provide social and charitable activities to give you extra tools," Valencia stated. Fabiola Verduzco of Seplafina emphasized the important role these organizations play, especially for communities facing various challenges.
One beneficiary, Erick Rodríguez from the Manzanillo Volunteer Firefighters, remarked on the historic nature of this support, pointing out it was the first time they received such funding after 23 years.
Looking toward 2025, the Colima administration faces challenges due to financial burdens inherited from past administrations. Arturo León Alam, the Secretary General of the Municipal Workers Union, addressed concerns about potential impacts on city operations. Although the year ended with all wages paid and services running smoothly, León Alam forecasted difficulties for the upcoming year, stating, "Next year will be somewhat of a heavy burden for the city council due to financial difficulties inherited from the prior administration."
León Alam recognized the mayor's capacity to manage these issues but stressed the need for effective strategies to minimize the strain on workers to continue providing quality services like garbage collection, park maintenance, and municipal assistance to local businesses.
The Mayor and Union representatives are set to meet soon to outline necessary adjustments internally to mitigate the impact of rising financial burdens. A 7% salary increment is mandated due to agreements made by the previous administration, placing additional pressure on the city’s financial strategies.
Colima officials are exploring methods to increase local revenues and optimize federal contributions. León Alam asserted, "These inherited issues must be addressed with the necessary strategies to maximize our resources and maintain our primary focus on serving the public."
The proactive measures by the Colima City government demonstrate their commitment to maintaining public services, even through financial challenges and festive seasons, ensuring their residents see the value the administration places on community cleanliness and well-being.