At the time of his installation as Civil Governor of the district of Horta, a commentary in the local daily O Fayalense, proclaimed: "[that they waited] animatedly for the new authority, with the same sentiments that your dignified brother, the Count of Ávila manifests for the land of his place of birth, that you will make all efforts to obtain a few improvements of the more instant necessities that the district lacks.
[2] This was a period of political turmoil, wherein José de Avila was involved in deliberations for the construction of new lighthouses in the archipelago of the Azores, and in particular projects for Faial and Flores (in his district).
[3] He was reasonably confident that "the Azores would be conveniently illuminated, providing the Country a marked service for navigators, to the Azorean group and humanity in general.
[3] As the nobleman promoted, "it is a shame and almost a crime" and that "every member of the Chamber of dignified Peers of the Kingdom and the gentlemen deputies of the nation that support...that we consign in the general budget funds to purchase a second-order lighthouse for the Azorean archipelago, and that we begin hereon-in work to install on them on the farthest western points of the island of Flores and island of Faial.
[3][4] These included initial construction of the lighthouses at Capelinhos and Lajes das Flores; the study completed for the supply of water to the city of Horta; an important donation of funds to Cedros, for the construction of a new roadway and repairs to the parochial church; improvements to the ports destroyed by a cyclone on Pico (especially in Lajes and Ribeiras), the coastal road between São João and Silveira, and schools of Ribeirinha and Silveira; also on the island of Flores, in addition to the lighthouse, there was a budgetary increase of funds to construct a roadway between Lajes and Ribeira da Urzela.