Mayor Tomás Vodanovic Denounces Government’s Move to Eliminate Contributions as an Ideological Whim

Original article: Alcalde Tomás Vodanovic: Eliminación de las contribuciones es un «capricho ideológico» del gobierno de Kast

In an interview with Radio Cooperativa, Maipú Mayor Tomás Vodanovic expressed strong criticisms of President José A. Kast’s intention to eliminate contributions, deeming it merely an «ideological whim» of the right.

«This policy benefits less than 1% of the population, who are economically well-off, while harming the rest of the city that relies on these resources to fund essential services,» Vodanovic stated during the national broadcast.

Additionally, the mayor pointed out that the initiative «will have no impact on economic growth or job creation, which are the two main objectives of this reform.»

«The current situation of municipalities is that we have budgets that are minuscule compared to the real needs of our communities, and which are also absolutely unequal among municipalities. What the government proposes, in general terms, is not to improve the financial state of municipalities but to eliminate the primary source of revenue—property taxes or contributions,» Vodanovic emphasized.

«I can’t have doubts about whether I will be able to collect the trash or not for my neighbors next year, or if I can pay for public lighting,» the mayor added.

«I would hope that the government opens itself to technical evidence and seeks agreements rather than insisting on an ideological whim or a campaign promise that may sound good in headlines but represents the most regressive measure since the return to democracy,» he stressed.

Bipartisan Agreement Among Mayors

The Maipú mayor also recalled that mayors recently reached a bipartisan agreement to focus the collection of contributions only on those individuals over the age of 65 with monthly incomes exceeding $3 million, providing benefits and exempting all others from payment.

«This way, we alleviate the burden on those who struggle to pay and prevent the essential services of municipalities from being underfunded,» Vodanovic highlighted, questioning: «Will this agreement from the mayors of ChileVamos have the support of their senators? I hope that the appreciation for municipalities does not only surface during election season but is shown through votes.»

We will continue to provide updates.