The mayor of Estación Central, Felipe Muñoz – an independent candidate close to the Frente Amplio coalition – addresses the new challenges that the mayors are presenting to the government due to its major reform. In addition to the criticism regarding the exemption from paying property taxes for those over 65, which will directly affect municipalities, the mayor argues that the housing incentive initiatives proposed by the executive branch will lead to more "mega-buildings," both in his municipality and in others. This view is shared by mayors, even those from the ruling party.
He warns that the modification to the General Ordinance on Urban Planning and Construction, included in the government's proposal, will impact the density of the municipalities, as it also alters regulations regarding the number of dwellings, height, and buildable area.
Almost two months after the arrival of the government of José Antonio Kast, what is your assessment?
It is difficult to evaluate a government that is still in the process of being established. However, expectations were very high. This creates a sense of urgency, not only among the municipalities, but also the citizens expect that the campaign promises are already being implemented, and with the same conviction that was present during the campaign. Security, migration, and transportation are particularly important issues that affect our municipality. There is a feeling within the community that we are being held accountable for the expectations that…
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The mayor of Estación Central, Felipe Muñoz – an independent politician close to the Broad Front – addresses the new challenges that mayors are presenting to the government due to its mega-reform. In addition to the criticism regarding the exemption from paying contributions for people over 65, which will directly affect municipalities, the mayor argues that the housing incentive initiatives proposed by the executive branch will lead to more "mega-buildings," both in his municipality and in others. This idea is shared by even officialist mayors. He warns that the modification to the General Urban Planning and Construction Ordinance contained in the government's proposal will impact the densification of municipalities, as it also alters regulations regarding the number of dwellings, height, and buildable area. Almost two months after the arrival of the José Antonio Kast government, what is your assessment? It is difficult to evaluate a government that is still in the process of being installed. However, expectations were very high. This creates a sense of urgency, not only for municipalities, but also for citizens who expect the campaign promises to be implemented soon, and with the same eloquence as during the campaign. Security, migration, and transportation, which are the issues that most affect our municipality, are particularly important. There is a feeling in the community that we are expected to provide answers to expectations that they hoped would be fulfilled soon. We understand that governments need time to get established, but there is no time for a honeymoon period. Regarding security, what specifically have you noticed? Many of the campaign pillars of President Kast relate to issues that directly affect the municipality: crime, organized crime, and irregular migration. Our municipality plays a fundamental role in the region, as it is the transportation hub, with a train station, four bus terminals, and the entire ecosystem that comes with it, which drives commerce. Nine million people circulate monthly. In addition, Estación Central is a unique case that has not occurred in any other municipality in the country: it has almost doubled in size in 5 or 6 years due to the proliferation of buildings in a business model that is primarily oriented towards rentals, where 70% are investors and 30% are first-time owners. Felipe Muñoz, Mayor of Estación Central.
Photo: Mario Tellez / La Tercera. MARIO TELLEZ Will the mega-reform encourage more mega-buildings? These announcements cause us great concern because they directly impact us. We are concerned about the modification to the General Urban Planning and Construction Law. There was a scenario, which we believed was a consensus, regarding the case of Estación Central, which was to build without planning. This calls into question the ability of municipalities to define how they want to develop, suggesting that land in areas near metro stations or main roads can be released without considering the consequences. We have concrete cases, such as in our municipality, where an urban sacrifice zone is created, and we are truly concerned that this will happen again. The government seeks to reactivate the real estate and housing sector. In one block of our municipality, 20,000 people live: overcrowding. And there are municipalities within the Metropolitan Region with only 10,000 inhabitants. Felipe Muñoz, Mayor of Estación Central.
Photo: Mario Tellez / La Tercera. MARIO TELLEZ Will the reform lead to a proliferation of this type of example? The change to the General Urban Planning and Construction Law involves proposing this idea, which is to consider the density of the area when planning. This is to ensure that development is sustainable and does not lead to overcrowding. It is important to consider the needs of the community and the environment when making decisions about urban planning. Felipe Muñoz, Mayor of Estación Central.
Photo: Mario Tellez / La Tercera. MARIO TELLEZ In addition, there are another US$70 million that will no longer be collected, which will affect municipalities. This will impact us as well, even if the fund is compensated. That is the underlying issue. The government has made these announcements – it did so during the campaign regarding security, migration, and contributions – and generates headlines, but generally does not explain how they will be implemented. For example, it was said that irregular immigrants would leave the municipality, a countdown was started, and the migrants are still here. The citizens have, in a way, signed a blank check for President Kast. We are also very concerned that these announcements are being made without consulting with the mayors. This week, the opposition mayors will meet with President Kast. What do you expect from the meeting? We do not yet know what the tone will be, whether the President will speak or listen. There is a difference between listening and receiving what is being presented. So, we want to see if, with the best intentions of conversation, he can understand the concerns we have. Regardless of whether we are from different political sectors, we have a common commitment to the development of the country. The colleagues are presenting very complex issues to him.