Mayor Rodulfo Gonzales Jr. said he is looking forward to making Valencia the seventh city in Negros Oriental.

In his first State of the Municipality Address Monday, Gonzales challenged his fellow officials to take off, as it is now a first class municipality, from being a third class one in 2001.

Present at the SOMA were members of the Sangguniang Bayan headed by Vice Mayor Deodoro Olasiman and barangay officials.

Gonzales said that in 2007, the town collected P149 million in local revenues, and, according to the Commission on Audit, it is one of the top 10 financially sound municipalities in the country.

He said he hopes to improve the local tax collection with a target of P155 million this year, and achieving a P300 million collection by year 2009.

Valencia has increased its population from 1,400 in 2001 to 3,500 in 2007, according to the latest population survey.

The Register of Deeds Provincial office has also recorded that at least 75 percent of its transactions involves property in Valencia , the mayor said.

Gonzales also reported on the electrification program, and education and agriculture development during his SOMA.*MA

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