The controversy surrounding New Year's Eve in Sassari reached the city council today. Some opposition councilors are concerned about the figures associated with the overall operation, particularly the fee for Zucchero, the chosen artist, even though the Emilian performer has not yet signed the contract. A first look at the sums was provided by the budget changes made by the council and, in recent days, by the resolution of the Culture, Tourism, and Major Events sector, which approved the tender process for "the awarding of the live artistic performance by the singer and band for New Year's Eve 2027, for a starting bid, above the threshold, of €633,050 plus VAT due by law."

"The finances," Mayor Giuseppe Mascia declared today in the council chamber, "that will be launched are commensurate with the municipality's potential." This is essentially a reassurance that the city won't bite off more than it can chew, while maintaining its commitment to giving the city a strong performance on December 31st.

"Sassari needs to think big," said Mascia, recalling how much was spent last year on Max Pezzali: "€1 million and €170,000, of which €800,000 came from the Region. We can afford the increase planned for this year." He then attacked some of the opposition's demands, such as wanting to know the economic impact of the event and understanding where the investment will go: "These are microeconomic paradigms that are not the responsibility of this administration." He then rejected the argument, advanced by some councilors, that "we can't afford it because we have so many difficulties." In response, the mayor emphasized the financial resources raised by the current administration in just over two years for various expenditure items: "€50 million, and another €30 million will come from the regional budget." These figures certainly won't quell the controversy over the New Year's Eve concert between supporters and detractors between now and December.

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