It is strange that the newspaper Stephen Calleja works for allows him to vent his private grievances and attack people on a personal level.

I will explain why I say this.

1. Mr Calleja takes St Julian’s as an example and says he lives there.

2. He reduces his example to the ‘100-metre stretch making up Birkirkara Road’, his own street.

3. He indicates me as the sole culprit for all his worries, and as being unaccountable.

First of all I work over seven hours a day at the council; most residents can verify this. I do this to ensure that I am able to meet anyone who has problems immediately and on a one-to-one basis. Mr Calleja could have taken this opportunity instead of bothering other people with his trivialities. Proof that the local council listens to the residents is the fact that when residents in the Balluta area complained about the car park, the council set up an urgent meeting to stop the project.

Secondly, Mr Calleja, as a good journalist, ought to know that various activities are held annually in St Julian’s. The budget is stretched, as it also has to cater for all visitors, local and foreign, who visit the area, actually increasing the number of residents fivefold. Meanwhile, the council ensures that the main tourist areas are well maintained. This budget also has to take into account the vandalism that takes place in St Julian’s, the locality that never sleeps.

Thirdly, I agree with Mr Calleja when he says that residents can oust a bad councillor or mayor. The proof of the pudding is that I have consistently increased my votes over the past 16 years. In the last election, St Julian’s increased its majority from 4 – 3 to 5 – 2 for the PN. This is proof enough of the residents’ genuine wishes.

In closing, may I remind Mr Calleja that should he wish to see me at the local council offices, all he has to do is call during office hours any day. I remind him too that in his 100-metre patch we have recently installed an EU standard protected playing field.

Further proof of our productivity is our initiative in starting discussions about an old people’s home, new premises for the local council, and the upgrading of Piazza Spinola and car parks among others.

Peter Bonello

Mayor

St Julian’s Local Council