New Leader Elected as Baldo Mountain Community Ends Governance Crisis

New President and End of Administrative Crisis

A new chapter begins for the Comunità montana del Baldo. With 18 votes in favor, 3 against, and 1 abstention, Luigi Castelletti, the mayor of Brentino, was elected president on Tuesday evening, replacing the resigned Cipriano Castellani, the mayor of San Zeno.

This marks the conclusion of the administrative crisis that started in October with the resignation of four out of six assessors from the executive board, followed by the resignation of the president himself. The latter had deemed it appropriate to «align» with the agreements made by the mayors of the municipalities forming the mountain entity.

The New Majority and the Administrative Program

With the new agreement, formalized through the approval of the strategic document presented by Luigi Castelletti, who returns to the presidency after approximately a year and a half away from the previous term, a majority deemed «a historic event» was established. This majority represents, for the first time, the coalitions that govern the nine municipalities comprising the Comunità montana.

«An entity that in these years», Castelletti emphasized while presenting the 2000-2004 administrative program, «faces the challenge of an evolution that will lead it to play a positive role in uniting and developing the various political, social, and economic realities of the territory.

Achieving this goal more effectively», Castelletti added, «is possible if pursued within a framework of maximum cooperation and dialogue among the various administrations, directly involved in planning and management».

The Conditions for Shared Governance

Hence the need to establish three conditions: «A majority that is preferably representative of the majorities governing the municipalities», but also to enhance both «the functions and contributions of the Conference of Mayors» and that of the Comunità montana.

As a tool for defining and pursuing common interests, and as a point of dialogue and consultation with higher-level entities such as the Province and Region.

In April, the series of statements by Castelletti, Guerrino Coltri, mayor of Ferrara, initially acknowledged the coherence shown by the outgoing president in stepping aside.

This willingness had been announced already at the time of his election, should a more solid majority emerge.

The Opinions of Other Mayors and Assessors

At the same time, he emphasized that the adopted solution is not the result of «any power play or political game», but simply an effort to reach an agreement involving all nine municipal administrations.

The outgoing assessor, not resigned, Virginia Cristini, without polemic, highlighted the work carried out to protect the landscape and the territory.

This stance was also shared by Armando Luchesa, mayor of Rivoli, who focused on the exceptional achievement reached, «with the Community engaged in changing its operational role».

Future Prospects and Challenges

On the same wavelength, Ferdinando Sbizzera, municipal assessor of Malcesine, expressed his conviction that this is «a first step to address in a new way the entire series of issues, moving beyond localisms and particularisms».

Responding, albeit indirectly, to questions from Gabriele Tomezzoli and Vittorio Zanolli, both minority councilors, regarding the resignations of President Cipriano Castellani, considered «forced», Caprino’s mayor Maria Teresa Girardi stated that «it is a synthesis of a political project and certainly not partisan», aimed at a broader union, resulting from the shared will of all mayors to collaborate.

The Minority Vote and the Composition of the Executive Board

At the time of approving the strategic document and electing the president and the board, councilor Tomezzoli recorded that the negative vote expressed by the minority «should not be interpreted as a praise for the president’s work», but as a negative expression of the methods, the lack of transparency, and the failure to involve council members in the nominations of Luigi Castelletti and the Executive Board.

The Executive Board is composed, besides President Castelletti, of assessors: Giorgio Cobelli (Costermano), vice president; Guido Battistoni (Brenzone); Guerrino Coltri (Ferrara); Cipriano Castellani (San Zeno); Maria Teresa Girardi (Caprino); Alberto Tomei (Torr).

The two municipalities not represented on the Board, Rivoli and Malcesine, will have assigned, respectively, the position of president of the conference of mayors (Armando Luchesa) and the leader of the majority group (Ferdinando Sbizzera).