Latest news and stories about municipal services in Portugal for expats and residents.
The proposal was approved unanimously by the municipal executive at the public council meeting.
The 3.6 million euro cost of the intervention includes the conversion and expansion works of a warehouse, exterior landscaping, and furniture.
The decision to close the cinema-theatre was made after the executive received a report on the current condition of the building, citing progressive physical degradation of the facility.
Sintra City Council has annulled a public tender, initiated by the previous administration, for the operational lease of 69 waste collection trucks, which would have cost the Municipal Water and Sanitation Services (SMAS) over 70.5 million euros over six years. The proposal by Mayor Marco Almeida was approved by his coalition and Chega, while the Socialist Party (PS) voted against it. The SMAS cited a lack of competition, financial unsustainability, and a shortage of drivers as reasons for the cancellation, noting that the original tender process was flawed. Socialist councillor Bruno Parreira criticised the lack of a clear strategy following the cancellation, expressing doubt that a new international tender could be completed by the end of the year.
The increase shocked residents, who sent complaints regarding the “brutal” hike. The City Council points out that fees had not been updated since 2016 and that the cost is even higher in Lisbon.
Municipal services in Porto dismantled an illegal dwelling without windows or any ventilation.
The festivities of the Figueiró dos Vinhos Carnival were cancelled due to the state of calamity. Municipal swimming pools will open so residents can bathe.
The mayor of Ferreira do Zêzere, Bruno Gomes, explains the difficulty of clearing all forest tracks. He stresses the need for skilled labour to carry out roof repairs.
The mayor said that 'it is possible and it is advisable' to consume it directly from the tap.
The mayor of Ourém is outraged after learning that the restoration of power across the municipality could take two weeks.
The municipality aims to gather information to identify and flag the most urgent cases.
The school centres in the municipality of Nazaré will be open on Monday and Tuesday to accommodate the children of priority workers, namely those in the health sector, firefighters and security forces, the town council said.
Materials can be delivered to the municipal yards, located in the town's industrial area, every day, including weekends, between 08:00 and 17:00.
The council added that teams are on the ground and working to reduce disruptions and to restore normality to household waste collection as quickly as possible.
The Marinha Grande City Council revealed today that it has re-housed 75 people in the facilities of Sport Império Marinhense after they were transferred from the Municipal Stadium.
The Batalha town hall is distributing paper notices door-to-door to residents because of communications problems, the mayor told the Lusa news agency; he is organising a volunteer clean-up of the municipality today. “Yesterday [Friday], as there was no communication across the municipality, we did that — distributing information leaflets...”
The delivery and collection of food and hygiene products has been centralised at Pavilhão dos Pousos. In addition, Batalha City Council is distributing door-to-door notices due to a power outage.
A pipe burst overnight on private property, emptying storage tanks. Municipal council technicians repaired the pipe and supply has been restored, but high-lying areas are still awaiting water.
Lisbon City Council distributed 2,000 new uniforms in September 2025 and has already completed the public tender process to acquire 300 firefighting jackets and 230 rain suits.
Five schools in the municipality of Castelo Branco remain closed today due to unsuitable operating conditions, namely a lack of electricity, the Municipal Council reported.
Refurbishment of the Municipal Public Library starts this year and the building is not expected to reopen until after 2029. The city council wants to continue expanding the network of local neighbourhood libraries.
“There has never been such widespread destruction in the municipality of Marinha Grande as this,” says the mayor.
See the answer in the video. Polígrafo TVI (from the same group as CNN Portugal) is a fact-checking programme about current affairs.
Animal rescue in Braga 'has ceased to be an occasional response and has become a structured, permanent and integrated service', according to the municipality's deputy mayor.
The local council is offering a temporary pet‑sitting service at polling stations on Sunday, the day of the presidential election. People walking their dogs can use the service to cast their votes.
Home News More investment needed where more immigrants are in Portugal More investment needed where more immigrants are in Portugal The Migration Observatory ( OM) has called for greater public investment in municipalities with higher immigrant populations and for migration data to be incorporate
The 'preventive suspension' ordered by the municipality's mayor, intended to safeguard workers' protection, the effectiveness of services and the public interest, comes into effect immediately and will last for 90 days.
This article is part of the 17th edition of ECO magazine. The long-standing struggle of local authorities for a new Local Finance Law (LFL) that would strengthen their financial capacity without jeopardising the sustainability of municipal accounts continues. The start of negotiations in 2023 with the then António Costa government gave them some ...
The change aimed to be responsible and not compromise the municipality's ability to provide 'quality' public services, but opposition parties would have preferred a larger tax reduction.
