The grid of projects, interventions and political choices of the Municipal Authority for the year 2024 was analyzed by the Mayor of Agia Antonis Gountaras during the special event of the Municipal Council for the report of the action.

Antonis Gountaras stressed that 2024 was a really difficult year for the whole of Thessaly, but also for the Municipality of Agia, since the wounds of Daniel, which affected thousands of people and destroyed a large part of productive capital, had to be “closed”.

Nevertheless, the region has stood on its feet, has largely restored the problems and is of course waiting for the announced government projects to ensure resilience in the face of future extreme weather events caused by the climate crisis. “It is incumbent on all of us to keep our municipality standing. To keep people in their homes, with income, infrastructure and prospects for the future. To keep the lights on in our villages” – as he said. For this to happen, people must feel secure, have jobs and income, but also cultural infrastructure, social care and care for the weak. And this is the direction in which the municipality’s options for 2024 were moving.

The Mayor of Agia spoke in detail both about the technical projects that were started, completed or planned in 2024, but also about the social infrastructure supported by the actions and interventions of the municipal authority.

Responding to the challenges of the time, Mr. Gountaras presented the actions of the municipal authority to address the energy costs that last year were unbearable. In this direction, two photovoltaic parks were constructed by the DEYA of Agia, which reduced the energy costs for water management to zero and enabled the administration to keep costs low for the citizens, with a stable pricing policy, both in water supply and sewerage. While he also discussed the environmental benefits of this intervention. At the same time, the sewerage projects in a number of local communities in the municipality were advanced, helping to maintain the environmental balance.

He presented the cleaning and lighting fees, which have remained stable since 2012, and stressed that: “We have chosen the hard road, that is to find ways to save resources rather than raising fees.”

The Mayor of Agia also made a detailed presentation of the administrative action of the Municipality, but also of the participation in a series of European programmes, while he provided detailed data on the beneficiaries of social programmes (Help at Home, Open Care Center for the Elderly, Community Centre, etc.).He also referred to the network of cultural activities implemented by the municipal authority, while he made special reference to the local economic development and tourism services.

In the area of Technical Services, Urban Planning and Environment – Quality of Life, the Mayor referred in detail to the results of the cleaning and environmental services, recycling and the green service, but also to civil protection, which is now treated completely differently after the disasters of Daniel. The municipal authority proceeded to the energy upgrade of public buildings (schools, gyms, etc., the majority of which are becoming energy autonomous), the modernization of the KEP, the redevelopment of entrances to settlements, as well as the redevelopment of the central square of Agia. He made a special reference to the projects for the reconstruction of the urban road environment of the coastal front, projects that are combined with the completion of the study for Sustainable Urban Mobility (SVAK of Agia).

Finally, he referred to the projects for the improvement of internal and rural roads, as well as the modernization and expansion of the irrigation network in the local communities of the Municipality. He also referred to the digital infrastructure of the Municipality, the cleaning of the fire zones, as well as the management projects of the municipal forests. The Mayor of Agia concluded his account of the municipality’s activities by presenting the proposals that have been submitted for the inclusion of projects and actions in funding programmes. He thanked all the employees, the Municipal Council, the Region of Thessaly and the Regional Governor Mr. Kouretas (and in his person all the regional councillors), his fellow self-governors, the previous municipal authorities, the Court of Auditors, the bodies involved – Associations and Ministries, the MPs of the Prefecture and especially the Ministry of Interior and the Minister Mr. Livanios. Finally, he expressed his gratitude to all citizens of the Municipality of Agia, citizens and visitors for your unlimited patience and understanding!