Taoyuan's city government is pushing back against an election-season attack, saying its mountain-area projects are moving on schedule and by the book — a political fight, not a policy shift.

• DPP mayoral candidate Huang Shih-chieh said building work in the Fuxing District is stuck; the city's tourism bureau says it is following normal legal steps.
• The bureau says a national-level scenic area for the North Cross-Island Highway needs central government sign-off, resource reviews, and talks with Indigenous communities, so a city cannot declare one on its own.
• On the bid to make Lalashan Taiwan's first certified international dark sky site, the bureau says getting feedback to fix light sources is a normal part of the process, not a failed application.
• Mountain construction like the Lalashan visitor centre and public toilets has to be phased over years because of terrain, weather, power, land, and access limits.

Outlook: Expect more sparring over Fuxing District development as Taoyuan's mayoral race heats up, with the national scenic area review the next real milestone.