report by Nina Vaclavikova
Interview: Everest Bertoli, Councilor for Finance and Budget
The Trieste City Council has approved its seventh budget adjustment of the year, unlocking more than €11.6 million in new funding for employee welfare, infrastructure, schools, museums and sports facilities.
The measure, presented on Tuesday by Finance Councilor Everest Bertoli alongside the city’s head of budget, Giulia Blasina, includes €2.6 million in current spending and more than €9 million in new capital investments aimed at supporting public services and local economic activity.
“The adjustment injects new resources into the city’s economy while addressing urgent operational needs,” Bertoli said during a news conference at City Hall.
Employee welfare and sports facilities
The largest current expenditure is the introduction of a regional welfare benefit for municipal employees, tied to the 2022–2024 Regional Collective Labor Agreement. The city has allocated funding to provide €800 annually per employee, with the benefit to be activated once the new contract is formally signed.
The budget revision also reorganizes spending across municipal departments to support a new management model for sports facilities. Under future concession agreements, operators will assume responsibility for utility costs, including water and electricity, while the municipality will provide partial financial contributions.
Infrastructure and public spaces
A significant portion of the capital budget became available after the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region allocated €3.5 million to the Trieste Convention Center, allowing the city to redirect previously committed municipal funds to other projects.
Among the largest investments are:
- €710,000 for extraordinary maintenance of roads, sidewalks and stairways.
- €610,000 to complete the Via Frausin sports complex.
- €500,000 for the San Giovanni swimming pool project financing.
- €311,000 for maintenance of trees and public gardens.
- €188,000 for the redevelopment of Piazza Gian Battista Vico.
- €180,000 to improve safety at the Viale Miramare municipal vehicle depot.
Additional funding includes €340,000 for furniture and equipment in schools, €380,000 to complete the Museum of the Sea, and €500,000 in regional funding for expanding changing rooms at the Borgo San Sergio sports facility.
The adjustment also allocates resources for restoration work at the Winckelmann Museum, maintenance of the Urban Center building, demolition of abandoned properties, upgrades to public parking infrastructure and improvements to municipal social service offices.
The budget amendment will now proceed through the remaining administrative approval process before the funds are distributed to the respective projects.
