The dispute between Bucharest and Ilfov regarding metropolitan development and the distribution of tax revenues is escalating. While the President of Ilfov County Council, Hubert Thuma, demands that 5% of the income tax collected in Bucharest be directed to the county, the honorary advisor to Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, Vlad Gheorghe, comes up with a radical proposal: a referendum for assimilating Ilfov into the Capital and creating a single administration.
Vlad Gheorghe: A referendum in Ilfov must be done. But on the right topic
Vlad Gheorghe’s reaction comes after Hubert Thuma announced that he will discuss with mayors from Ilfov about initiating a referendum, in the context of tensions related to the disposal of waste from Bucharest in the county.
"A referendum in Ilfov County must be done. But on the right topic: assimilating Ilfov into Bucharest and creating a single Bucharest, with a unique administration for the entire metropolitan area," wrote Vlad Gheorghe on Facebook on Tuesday.
The Prime Minister's advisor argues that the current administrative fragmentation generates urban chaos, lack of coordination, and major real estate interests. Although he considers the idea of the County Council not issuing building permits as "good," he states that the real issue is how these permits are granted.
"The problem is not that permits are being stopped, but that they are currently issued chaotically, without real coordination and with major real estate interests. The solution is a centralized electronic authorization system for the entire metropolitan Bucharest, with uniform rules, coordination, and above all transparency," transmitted Vlad Gheorghe.
He argues that a referendum on the topic of administrative unification and coordinated authorization would be "extremely useful."
Abolishing Ilfov County Council and "local barons"
Vlad Gheorghe goes further and proposes the abolition of Ilfov County Council, arguing that the measure would generate "significant" savings, which could be redirected towards concrete investments.
"The abolition of Ilfov County Council would bring significant savings. The saved money could go directly towards paving the streets and snow removal (...) The expansion of Bucharest would also abolish many unnecessary organizations that exist today as associations between Bucharest and Ilfov, each with its own budget and bureaucracy. And, last but not least, some of the local barons who currently threaten, with fantastic audacity, to block Bucharest if their financial demands are not met, would disappear," the councilor added.
Hubert Thuma: In reality, we exceed one million inhabitants
On the other hand, the President of Ilfov County Council, Hubert Thuma, demands that 5% of the estimated income tax collected at the level of Bucharest municipality be allocated to Ilfov county, invoking demographic and infrastructural pressure.
"In documents, in Ilfov, we are 540,000. In reality, we exceed one million inhabitants. People who need roads, schools, hospitals, water and sewage systems, public transportation, and social services," Thuma wrote on Facebook.
According to him, nearly 130,000 Ilfov residents pay income tax in Bucharest because numerous companies have their headquarters in the Capital, even though they operate in Ilfov. Thuma estimates that the amount directed in this way to Bucharest would be approximately 1.2 billion lei, and if the real population is taken into account, it could realistically reach around 3 billion lei.
In the absence of a "correct settlement" of the financial and administrative relationship between Bucharest and Ilfov, Thuma announced that he is even considering suspending the issuance of building permits.
He also accused the Mayor of Bucharest, Ciprian Ciucu, of "pretending not to understand what is happening on the ground," warning that without coherent metropolitan solutions, "Bucharest will be blocked, and Ilfov will pay the real cost of the Capital's expansion."