Lee Jeong-woon, a council member from the Democratic Party representing Muan 2, emphasized the need to reduce predictable budget surpluses and strengthen management of budget reallocations during a settlement review.
During the Administrative and Fire Safety Committee's review of the 2025 fiscal year on September 10, Lee addressed the execution status of personnel operation expenses, public employee training expenses, overseas travel expenses, and performance bonuses.
Lee stated, "Items such as personnel operation expenses and various allowances are predictable in terms of execution scale, yet significant surpluses have occurred. Minimizing surpluses is fundamental to efficient budget management, so we must improve the structure that allows predictable budgets to remain unspent."
He also suggested establishing a system for inter-departmental information sharing not only during the budget preparation phase but also throughout the execution process.
Lee stressed the importance of regular checks on execution status by the personnel management and accounting departments, and he highlighted the need for a preliminary settlement in early October to identify budgets that are unlikely to be used by the end of the year.
He urged that funds expected to be unspent should be reallocated to necessary projects through supplementary budgets to enhance financial efficiency.
Lee remarked, "It is more efficient for public finances to assess the feasibility of execution in advance and allocate budgets to necessary areas rather than leaving them as surpluses at the end of the year."
In response, Kang Jong-cheol, head of the Administrative Affairs Bureau, stated, "We will consider improving the system to allow for bold budget adjustments through preliminary settlements and inter-departmental consultations for necessary reallocations."
The issue of budget reallocations also emerged as a point of contention during the settlement review.
Lee cited an instance where public employee welfare funds were reduced and reallocated to temporary worker salaries, asserting that reallocations should be managed more strictly according to relevant standards.
He noted, "This is a matter that must be examined rigorously under the 'Guidelines for Budget Preparation and Management of Local Governments,' and we must closely assess whether reallocations made without the council's approval infringe upon the council's budget review rights."
In response, Kim Dong-hyun, the head of the Local Policy Office, explained, "This was a measure taken within permissible limits to respond to unavoidable personnel changes such as mid-term resignations and parental leave. We will strive to improve the accuracy of projections to prevent such reallocations in the future."
Lee emphasized that the settlement process should not merely confirm already spent budgets but should establish a management system that reflects surpluses and reallocations in the next year's budget preparation and execution.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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