"While legitimate, I don't consider it appropriate or ethically correct that the funds were allocated to a private organization whose president, Giulia Muntoni, is the daughter of Education Councilor Loredana Porcu, who should resign." These are the words of Antonio Muscas, a minority councilor, regarding the granting of regional funds to the Santa Cecilia Band from the "Notes for the Future" project, of which the Villacidro band is the leader. "This is an activity in which the Civic Music School is not involved," Muscas emphasized during the last city council meeting.

The veiled insinuations of favoritism, followed by the administration's responses, inflamed tensions in the chamber. Councilor Porcu responded, "To Councilor Muscas's opinion that I should resign, I respond that I have always and exclusively carried out my role as councilor in the best interests of the community, with conscience. I have never been involved in any capacity in this matter involving the Banda Santa Cecilia, and I have exercised no discretion in the matter."

"The €20,000 funding could not have been allocated to anyone other than the musical association itself," explains Christan Balloi, Councilor for Culture. "The Municipality of Villacidro intervened, without any discretion, and agreed to act as intermediary for the payment of the grant. As for the Scuola Civica di Musica, it simply happens that its members will be able to attend courses at the Banda Santa Cecilia thanks to an existing agreement."

"The funding isn't tied to my relationship with the councilor, but to the merit of the project presented," replied the band's president, Giulia Muntoni. "The band, which has a young, competent, and, above all, independent governing body, developed a detailed project, submitted it to the Foundation and the Sardinia Region, which recognized its quality and decided to fund it," Muntoni continued.

"I don't mean to stir up any controversy. However, I believe it's important to clarify that neither I nor the board members receive any kind of financial compensation. Our sole objective is to protect and enhance the future of this over a century-old band, carrying forward a project that is already producing concrete results for the community," the president concluded.

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