Outgoing Mayor Lu Shiow-yen Passes Next Year's Budget, Assumes Policies Will Continue

Taichung City Council has passed the 2025 budget, with outgoing Mayor Lu Shiow-yen taking steps to ensure continuity for her successor. Lu, whose term ends soon, has prepared the budget with the assumption that popular policies will be extended, allowing the next mayor to transition smoothly.

The approved budget allocates NT$170.26 billion in revenue and NT$177.56 billion in expenditures, resulting in a deficit of NT$7.33 billion, which will be covered by borrowing. Lu noted that the projected revenue is lower than the previous year, partly due to the timing of local elections affecting council sessions and the delayed receipt of central government subsidies.

Lu highlighted that she has responsibly allocated funds for policies favored by the public and deemed necessary for continuation. These include NT$410 million for free school lunches and an additional NT$82.5 million for kitchen waste disposal to maintain lunch quality. She also announced an expansion of the "Taichung Has Calcium" program, providing fresh milk weekly to students in public and private kindergartens and public elementary schools, extending it to private elementary students and covering all 52 weeks of the school year, at an annual cost of NT$366 million.

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I assume that policies favored by citizens and necessary ones will be continued.

Other funded programs include NT$1.83 billion for the popular Double Ten bus pass policy, NT$3 billion for elderly health insurance subsidies benefiting 440,000 people, and NT$1.3 billion for expanded benefits for the elderly and disabled using the Kindness Card. Economic stimulus measures like the Taichung Shopping Festival, price adjustment vouchers, and the pot and grill festival budgets have also been included, with the assumption they will continue.

Lu stated that while the next mayor has the authority to adjust or reduce these allocations, her administration has responsibly prepared the financial framework to facilitate an immediate start upon their inauguration.

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I have responsibly prepared the financial budget for the next mayor to get started immediately.