The municipality of Praia da Vitória will operate with a budget of 19.7 million euros in 2026, with a strong emphasis on housing.

“Our priority will undoubtedly be housing. In terms of major structural works, we recognize many needs across the municipality, and we also understand that investment must go toward rehabilitating municipal roads and correcting certain areas that pose safety risks, such as the intervention planned for Largo da Batalha,” said Mayor Vânia Ferreira yesterday.

Of the 19.7 million euros allocated in the budget, approximately 6.5 million euros (33%) are earmarked for investment, with the remainder dedicated to current operating expenses.

In 2025, the municipality operated with a budget of 23.9 million euros. Vânia Ferreira explained the 4.2-million-euro reduction for 2026 as the result of fluctuations in applications for European community funds and the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR).

The municipality intends to transfer its housing-related PRR applications to the 1.º Direito program.
“The 1.º Direito program guarantees 60% financing, and the remaining 40% may be financed through a banking institution, which is still under negotiation with the Secretary of State,” Vânia Ferreira explained.

The mayor noted that the municipality sought to make the most of PRR funding opportunities but was ultimately constrained by a “fragile financial situation” that prevented certain investments from moving forward.

“Many families come to us hoping that we can provide this response. We know that the Regional Government has made investments in the municipality of Praia da Vitória […], but even so, social responses still require our careful and attentive consideration,” she emphasized.

Asked about the municipal group’s debt—comprising the municipality and its municipal companies—which stood at 35 million euros in 2025, Vânia Ferreira said it had been reduced, though she did not specify the amount.
“At this moment, I cannot provide reliable figures, because we have not yet closed the fiscal year,” she explained.

According to the mayor, the municipality’s accounts also include those of Praia Ambiente, the Praia Cultural cooperative—“which is almost in a position to be dissolved”—and other companies in the local business sector that still have “some issues to resolve” and are awaiting an opinion from the Court of Auditors.

“Until we receive a ruling from the Court of Auditors, we cannot reflect the corresponding values of the local business sector companies in our accounts. Without that validation, we cannot proceed to the Municipal Support Fund (FAM),” she noted.

Vânia Ferreira had hoped to receive a response from the Court of Auditors by the end of this year but will once again have to postpone the request for assistance from the FAM.

“If we are able to consolidate all this debt within the municipality, we will not hesitate to approach the FAM, in order to consult and understand the conditions under which we could negotiate a loan with the Municipal Support Fund,” she added.

In 2026, the municipality of Praia da Vitória will once again return one percentage point of its variable share of the Personal Income Tax (IRS) to families and will maintain the minimum property tax rate (IMI) of 0.3%.

Water and waste tariffs, as well as the municipal surcharge (derrama), will also remain unchanged.

Vânia Ferreira was re-elected this year as Mayor of Praia da Vitória by the PSD/CDS-PP coalition.

The 2026 municipal budget was approved by majority vote in the municipal assembly, with favorable votes from PSD, CDS-PP, and two members of the Socialist Party (PS), while the remaining PS members and Chega abstained.

The coalition holds a majority in the municipal assembly, with 15 members from the PSD and three from the CDS-PP, while the PS holds 13 seats and Chega one.

For the mayor, the outcome of the vote represents “recognition that this is a very balanced, realistic, and transparent budget.”

“Within the limited investment capacity we have, we are confident that the funds available will be directed toward essential areas, such as municipal roads, schools, and sports pavilions,” she concluded.

If you’d like, I can also condense this into a tighter news feature, or recast it in a more reflective, civic-essay tone for diaspora readers familiar with Praia da Vitória.

In Diário Insular–José Lourenço-director

Translated into English as a community outreach program by the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL), in collaboration with Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno. PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.