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The impotent, dysfunctional and paralysed Castro Marim Council has just come first in a nationwide survey to identify ‘the best run municipality in Portugal.’
Amid loical astonishment, Castro Marim leads 308 ‘well run’ municipalities in Portugal for last year.
The annual study is carried out by the Economists’ Association which placed Castro Marim first.
Another prominent position given to the Council was in relation to the services provided to its citizens, taking 14th place nationally.
The Portuguese Municipal Rating takes into account criteria such as inclusion, safety and sustainability, municipal governance, service to citizens, economic and social development and financial sustainability.
The objective of this ranking, is ‘not to discredit those municipalities that score low but to encourage them.’
Castro Marim is so ineffective that the mayor, Francisco Amaral, has resigned to force a local election in order to end the impasse that has blocked legislation and hampered progress.