TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Hsinchu City councilors cut NT$80 million (around US$2.58 million) from the 2026 budget Tuesday (Dec. 2). The cut followed a chaotic clash over voting procedures in the city council, a major tech hub in northern Taiwan. The disagreement centered on whether to bundle the budget vote, with Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨) and New Power Party (NPP, 時代力量) councilors opposing the method.
The DPP and NPP advocated for a line-by-line review of the budget proposal instead of bundled voting. The Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨), Taiwan's main opposition party, Taiwan People's Party (TPP, 民眾黨), and several independent councilors supported the bundled approach. Nine DPP councilors occupied the podium around 11 a.m., displaying banners and preventing Speaker Hsu Hsiu-jui (許修睿) from opening the session.
The KMT caucus and other councilors forcefully reclaimed the podium by 3 p.m., allowing Hsu to commence the meeting. More than 20 councilors jostled for space on the podium, with Hsu conducting proceedings amid the crowd. Members in the council told Central News Agency (CNA, 中央社), Taiwan's state-run news agency, a show of hands determined the outcome.
The vote showed 16 councilors in favor, 12 against, and one abstention regarding the bundling method for the budget. The final vote saw 17 out of 30 councilors approving the NT$80 million (around US$2.58 million) cut, with no opposition recorded. This decision underscores ongoing political tensions within the Hsinchu City council over budget review procedures. ◼ (At time of reporting, US$1 equals approximately NT$31)