Domingo Contreras, who aspires to be the next mayor of Santo Domingo, is calling for the promotion of a culture of legality that he says needs to start with the Executive Branch. At present, Contreras is advisor to the Executive Branch on Solid Waste, after many years as secretary general at the National District city government (ADN).
Speaking on the Ojala TV program on Channel 4 yesterday Thursday, 16 April 2015, he said that the country produces around 13,000 tons of garbage a day and this will increase. Highly polluting heavy metals are being dumped with the garbage. Contreras said the DR needed to find a better way of resolving its solid waste and garbage management.
Contreras said that creating a civic culture and strengthening municipal institutions was essential, and that unless the city governments start exercising their role, the violations of municipal laws will continue.
“We realize that when it comes to transparency and accountability, people are not satisfied with the way city governments spend their resources,” he stated.
Contreras said that President Medina had entrusted him with promoting a pact with municipalities and a law so that citizens become more involved with city government services.
“One can tell that President Medina has very local interventions when he visits a small rural area, a municipality or section,” he said.
Contreras said he was working on two tools to strengthen municipal government.
Domingo dice debemos desarrollar cultura legalidad en relación Gobierno