There is no doubt the vast majority of mayors and councillors running local councils across Malta and Gozo are dedicated men and women who wish the best for their communities. They do not seek personal glory or pretend to be able to actually build Rome in three days, but the many hours they dedicate from their free time is evidence of their commitment to local issues and electoral pledges.

However strong their will, though, they still need the support of the state to back them when it comes to major projects that their budgets, albeit larger than they've ever been since their inception, would not suffice. These extra muscles in the form of specific funds for specific and scheduled projects help local councils to implement them, a process that directly benefits their communities.

The examples are many and diverse. Along recent years, millions upon millions of extra funds - through various schemes and initiatives - have been pumped into local and regional councils to help them launch, undertake and complete beneficial projects that would otherwise have been left shelved and undone.

At the very end of last month, no less than 23 localities in Malta and Gozo were announced to be on the list for more funds as part of a scheme to help them launch and implement inclusivity projects, create open spaces for the benefit of their residents, instal lifts for the elderly and establish instruction courses in how to deal with emergencies.

Announcing the scheme at Fgura, one of the beneficiary localities, the parliamentary secretary for Local Government, Alison Zerafa Civelli, said it forms part of a larger €2m scheme, and is exclusively intended to help those local councils as they seek to promote healthier and more inclusive communities.

In the greater picture, the government's National Strategic Vision for Local Government 2023-2030 envisages a local government that strives to meet and exceed their residents' expectations, ultimately leading to a better quality of life. One of the pillars in this Strategic Vision is, in fact, based on the prerequisites of accessibility, inclusivity and security: "Cultivating inclusive and safe local communities with enhanced accessibility, collaboration and trust."

From this perspective, some of the projects in mind may not seem to be anywhere near glorious, but their value to residents and visitors alike is immeasurable. For example, according to mayor Clayton Cascun Portelli,  the Fgura local council will utilise these funds to construct an infrastructure for new pavements, a much-needed project to provide for better strolling along this busy and popular road while offering better accessibility and safety to people of all ages.

Also speaking at Fgura, the director general of the Local Councils Department, Emil Vassallo, said investment in local councils is increasing, adding that in this way "they are now closer to their communities and able to tackle lingering old realities". He appealed for residents to always be a part of different local plans, saying communities should get more involved in local projects as they proudly do in the enhancement of their own homes.

In what's left of this year, local councils continue to benefit from the €48.4m allocation, which is a substiantial 10% increase over the previous year, representing the largest single-year increase since 2013. While these allocations are used by the 68 local councils in Malta and Gozo to manage their day-to-day activities, millions of extra funds are provided through established schemes and new initiatives.

2025 certainly augurs well for an increasingly funded local government and local councils committed to their declared promises last June, and in accordance with the concepts and pledges inscribed in the Central Government's mandated 2022 election manifesto.