Mayor’s Remarks:
1. This week includes the Qingming Festival long weekend. Government operations should not be disrupted because of the holiday; all necessary work should either proceed as usual or be brought to a stopping point before the holiday begins. Given the dry weather conditions, the Civil Affairs Bureau is requested to step up fire-prevention publicity at cemetery entrances and continue promoting the practices of making charitable donations and offering rice in place of joss paper burning. Replacing the burning of joss paper with charitable and social welfare donations and reducing the use of incense can improve the environment and air quality and make tomb-sweeping safer and more orderly. The Fire Bureau is requested to deploy drones in cemetery areas for aerial patrol and safety reminders, so as to prevent fires and smoke and minimize the risk of fire during tomb-sweeping activities.
2. In light of the situation in the Middle East and the impact of rising prices for oil, gas, plastics, asphalt, and other essential commodities, Deputy Mayor Chao has already convened the relevant bureaus and departments to examine the issue and announce response measures. The relevant bureaus and departments are requested to strengthen implementation before the long weekend and work with the Department of Legal Affairs to prevent price gouging and hoarding with strictness. Upstream and midstream suppliers should be rigorously investigated. To mitigate short-term economic impacts, all bureaus and departments are also requested to promote actively energy conservation, carbon reduction, and efforts to reduce plastic use, while strengthening public outreach to encourage recycling and reuse. It is hoped that, through a multi-pronged approach, we can make our environment more sustainable.
3. When bureau and department heads accompany councilors on economic development inspection tours, such trips should, in the interest of saving administrative time, be completed within the same day or limited to no more than two days.
4. This year (2026), when preparing the budget for next year (2027), the Department of Budget, Accounting and Statistics is requested to observe the principle that expenditures should not increase substantially, so as to facilitate review and approval by the City Council.
Reports
1. The Police Bureau presented a report titled “Special Operations for the Prevention of Drunk Driving from November 2025 to February 2026 and During the Lunar New Year Holiday” (refer to written sources for details).
Resolution: Filed for reference.
Mayor’s Comments:
(1) The Police Bureau carried out a special Lunar New Year project, and both the number of drunk-driving accidents and the number of related casualties declined substantially. The initiative also successfully reduced Category A1 fatal drunk-driving accidents to zero. Appreciation is extended to police personnel for their hard work. Although it is difficult to prevent people from drinking, continued public education on not driving after drinking is needed, and the public should be encouraged to use designated drivers or ride-sharing services, so as to reduce the likelihood of drunk driving at the source.
(2) Drunk driving must be prevented, and drug-impaired driving must also be eradicated. In recent years, drug-impaired driving has drawn growing public attention. Law enforcement personnel are therefore required to intensify enforcement against such conduct to prevent accidents. The Police Bureau is requested to implement saliva-based rapid screening in enforcement operations and expand related drug-testing equipment, so as to strengthen enforcement against both drunk driving and drug-impaired driving and provide the greatest possible protection for the lives and property of the public.
2. The Hakka Affairs Commission presented a report titled “2026 Tainan Tung Blossom Festival” (refer to written sources for details).
Resolution: Filed for reference.
Mayor’s Comments:
(1) Since the City Government established the Hakka Affairs Commission, successive chairpersons have worked with great dedication to promote initiatives, such as the Tung Blossom Festival, Bagong Care Stations, and renovations to the Hakka Cultural Center, along with other improvements in both facilities and services, demonstrating the City Government’s commitment to Hakka culture and related services. At the same time, efforts have also been made to promote the Hakka language so that it may continue to be passed down to and used by future generations.
(2) Tung blossoms are one of the symbols of Hakka culture, and Tainan is also the southernmost area where they can grow. Although other cities and counties also hold tung blossom festivals, an important task for the Hakka Affairs Commission is to develop distinctive features for the Tainan Tung Blossom Festival, so that Hakka residents feel a stronger sense of connection and the wider public can better understand the cultural significance represented by the tung blossom. The Commission is requested to continue its efforts in this regard.
(3) The tung blossom season coincides with the plum harvest. The Tourism and Travel Bureau and the Agriculture Bureau are requested to work together so that more people can appreciate both the beauty of the tung blossoms and the flavor and nutritional value of plums. Tung blossoms are not only beautiful but also culturally significant. It is hoped that, through tour planning, interpretation and promotion related to tung blossoms, and activities, such as painting events, the public will gain a deeper understanding of Hakka culture and help boost tourism at nearby attractions.