No.58 Activities of Various Councils for Next Year's Budget Preparation

Although the lingering heat continues, as I write this manuscript in late August of 2016, it is about time to start moving towards the budget preparation for the next fiscal year.
In preparing the budget proposal, we typically formulate the "Budget Preparation Policy" around the end of August each year and communicate it to each department, instructing them to prepare their budgets accordingly. We strive for maximum effectiveness with minimal expenses and work to reduce expenditures; however, the overall city budget cannot be covered solely by the Municipal Tax and other independent revenue sources, so we are also working to secure revenue by introducing subsidies from the national government and Tokyo Metropolis.
Regarding mandatory expenses related to education and welfare, many of the subsidies from the national and metropolitan governments are determined by rules, but for investment expenses related to road and river maintenance, it is necessary to firmly request support.
In particular, for requests that are difficult to implement alone, we are establishing organizations such as councils in cooperation and collaboration with neighboring cities and related organizations to carry out request activities. The outline of the councils I participate in is as follows.

"Tokyo Mayors' Association"
This association is composed of 26 cities in the Tama area, aimed at facilitating communication and cooperation among cities, ensuring smooth city administration, and deepening mutual exchanges.
"Tokyo River Improvement Promotion Alliance"
This alliance is composed of 14 wards, 21 cities, 2 towns, and 1 village in Tokyo, aimed at preventing disasters caused by river flooding and other issues related to rivers under the city's management.
"Tamagawa Maintenance Promotion Council"
This council is composed of 2 wards, 14 cities in Tokyo, and Kawasaki City, aimed at flood control and disaster prevention for the Tamagawa River.
"Tokyo Land Readjustment Project Promotion Alliance"
This alliance is composed of 11 wards, 25 cities, and 2 towns in Tokyo that are currently implementing land readjustment projects, aimed at promoting safe and comfortable community development.
"Tokyo Road Improvement Promotion Alliance"
This alliance is composed of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and all municipalities (26 cities, 5 towns, 8 villages) aimed at promoting road improvements in the Tama island region.
"Minami-Tama New Town Council"
This council is composed of 5 cities in Minami-Tama, aimed at discussing and examining various issues related to the development area of the Tama New Town and its surrounding areas, and making requests to the national and metropolitan governments.
"Tamagawa Bridge and Related Road Improvement Promotion Council"
This council is composed of 8 cities in the middle reaches of the Tamagawa River, aimed at promoting the widening, new construction, and replacement of bridges spanning the river.
"Tokyo Continuous Elevated Crossing Project Promotion Council"
This council is composed of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, 11 wards, 9 cities in Tokyo, and 8 railway operators, aimed at promoting the continuous elevated crossing projects for railways being implemented in the city.
"Tama Region Urban Monorail Construction Promotion Council"
This council is composed of 23 cities, 3 towns, and 1 village along the proposed route, aimed at early project realization.

Every year, we repeatedly submit requests to the government, the National Diet, relevant ministries, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government through various routes.
Among these steady request activities, we have achieved significant results, particularly regarding the Tama River bridge. At the time this council was established in 1980, there were only 5 bridges and 12 lanes in the middle reaches of the Tama River, but it has now expanded to 9 bridges and 34 lanes. During this period, Inagi City has seen the establishment of the Inagi Ohashi Bridge, and the Tama River Hara Bridge and the Kosei Bridge have been replaced and widened from 2 lanes to 4 lanes, resolving the chronic traffic congestion that once existed.
We express our gratitude for the efforts of our predecessors who have been involved in the steady activities of this council, and we will continue to carry on these efforts for the further development of the Tama region.