Proposal to Fully Fund Financial Support for Deficit Village Bus Companies Deferred

Jeong Munheon, Chairman of the Council, "Meaningful First Joint Meeting with Seoul City in the Second Year of the 8th Elected Term" "Will Strive to Resolve Issues through Close Cooperation with Seoul City"

The Seoul Metropolitan Council of District Mayors (Chairman Jeong Mun-heon, Mayor of Jongno-gu) held its 184th regular meeting at 7:30 a.m. on the 11th in the Planning Situation Room on the 6th floor of Seoul City Hall.

This meeting, held as the first joint meeting of the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Council of District Mayors in the second year of the 8th elected term, was attended by 24 district mayors including 11 proxies, led by Chairman Jeong Mun-heon, and 8 heads of related departments from the Seoul Metropolitan Government, including Kim Ui-seung, the First Deputy Mayor for Administration.

At the meeting, in-depth discussions were held on four agenda items: ▲Request to reconsider the suspension of personnel expenses support for public job counselors at Job Centers (Gangdong-gu, Guro-gu) ▲Enhancement of benefits such as priority registration for Seoul citizens at Seoul-operated camping sites (Guro-gu) ▲Request to revise the standards for river access control during rainfall (Dobong-gu) ▲Request for full municipal financial support for deficit village bus companies (Nowon-gu).

The “Request to reconsider the suspension of personnel expenses support for public job counselors at Job Centers” concerns the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s previous support of personnel expenses for district governments that converted Job Center career counselors to public employees, which is planned to be discontinued from 2024. The Seoul Metropolitan Government is currently reviewing a proposal to support 50% of personnel expenses in 2024 through the Subsidy Committee and plans to review and consult further based on future tax revenue conditions. The council accepted this position and approved the proposal.

The “Enhancement of benefits such as priority registration for Seoul citizens at Seoul-operated camping sites” requests priority registration or facility fee reductions for Seoul citizens at eight camping sites operated by the Seoul Metropolitan Government (including one under development). The Seoul Metropolitan Government responded that it will verify usage status and review the proportion of priority given to Seoul citizens, deferring further discussion until the first half of next year.

The “Request to revise the standards for river access control during rainfall” asks the Seoul Metropolitan Government to revise related laws and systems to enable administrative sanctions against residents who fail to comply with access control during emergency fire alerts caused by rainfall. The Seoul Metropolitan Government accepted the request, agreed to revise the relevant standards, and prepare a publicity plan, approving the original proposal.

The “Request for full municipal financial support for deficit village bus companies” points out that while the Seoul Metropolitan Government holds key authority over village bus route establishment and changes, district governments only have management responsibilities such as company registration. Therefore, it is inappropriate to shift the financial burden of deficit village bus companies onto district governments, and the request is for the Seoul Metropolitan Government to provide financial support. After lengthy and in-depth discussion, the council decided to defer the matter for further review of district government authority and financial input.

Additionally, the Seoul Metropolitan Government requested cooperation from district governments on four matters, including ▲support for making Seoul free of cigarette butts (Climate and Environment Headquarters) and ▲budget allocation support for autonomous crime prevention squads to strengthen local security (Autonomous Police Committee).

Meanwhile, the 185th regular meeting is scheduled to be held on November 8, 2023.