No. 30 Initial budget for FY2014

(published in the April 15, 2014 issue of Koho Inagi)

This year's initial budget for the new fiscal year was approved at the regular city council meeting in March, and has been implemented since the 1st of this month.
The size of the general account budget for FY2014 is 36.25 billion yen, an increase of 5.36 billion yen, or 17.3%, from the previous year, making it the largest budget ever.
This fiscal year, approximately 3.45 billion yen will be spent on construction costs such as rebuilding the old Inagi Daiichi Elementary School building, expanding the Inagi No. 7 Elementary School building, building a new Nanzan Elementary School (tentative name), large-scale renovations of Inagi Daiichi Junior High School, and rebuilding the Second Nursery School. , approximately 440 million yen in subsidies for the construction of a new nursery school in the eastern Nanzan zoning area, and approximately 220 million yen in contributions towards the construction of a memorial hall by the Inagi-Fuchu Cemetery Association (tentative name). We will implement a large-scale project, including approximately 510 million yen in construction costs for the construction of a multipurpose plaza with Nagamine sports facilities.
In addition, there were special circumstances such as approximately 350 million yen for provision of temporary welfare benefits and temporary special benefits for families with children in consideration of the increase in the consumption tax rate, resulting in such a large budget.
In addition, assistance expenses have increased significantly in the fields of disability nursing care benefits and welfare expenses, which are necessary ordinary expenses every year.
As I am concluding my fourth year in office, this budget has been drafted with more emphasis than ever on maintaining sound finances, continuing support for disaster-affected areas, taking disaster prevention and mitigation measures for the city, curbing ordinary expenses, and reviewing the burden on beneficiaries. I made it a challenge.
Particular emphasis was placed on steadily promoting facility development as stipulated in the long-term comprehensive plan. Because we were implementing investment projects at the same time, very large expenses were required, but we created a budget while appropriately using funds (reserve savings) and city bonds (long-term loans).
Regarding reconstruction support, we will continue to dispatch staff to Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture this fiscal year.
Regarding disaster prevention and mitigation measures, we will introduce national funds to increase the amount of subsidies for making wooden houses earthquake resistant.
On the other hand, the city's own emergency economic measures, which have been implemented as temporary measures since fiscal year 2009, will be reviewed with reference to the recent economic recovery trend, and some of the necessary measures will be made permanent.
In the field of child-rearing support, we will eliminate childcare waiting lists at nursery schools and make major reforms to after-school support for elementary school students, which is an important issue. Although it was physically difficult to expand the after-school club, which required dedicated facilities, the project aims to accept all applicants in principle by introducing an after-school plan for children with more relaxed supervision. The system will be trialled at eight elementary schools in fiscal year 2014, with the aim of implementing it at all schools in fiscal year 2015 after understanding usage needs. In addition, the existing after-school club will continue, with some changes to admission criteria.
We will continue to work towards creating a vibrant Inagi town this year, so we ask for the understanding and cooperation of all citizens.