TORREVIEJA: ONE OF SPAIN’S FIRST CITIES TO PRESENT 2011 BUDGET
Times are hard everywhere. Austerity measures have seen strikes and violence in France, discontent in the UK and Ireland a last week we had a major cabinet reshuffle from Zapatero's national government.
Torrevieja is trying and stay ahead of the game by becoming one of the first Spanish cities to present their Budget plan for 2011. Some political commentators, union leaders and members of the PP have said that last week's Spanish cabinet reshuffle was nothing more than a last ditch political attempt at electioneering rather than a serious approach to trying to deal with the recession in Spain, as ‘Spain's most unpopular Prime Minister' (there have only been three!) decides on his own future!
Meanwhile, Torrevieja's Mayor, Pedro Hernandez Mateo's 2011 budget calls for austere, serious and rigorous action, and he states, “without electioneering,” which he says “will reinforce social spending despite the serious economic and financial crisis in our country.”
Torrevieja's budget Statement of Income and Expenditure, has been set at €91,776,512 euros for 2011. Now all opposition political groups have the opportunity to go through the budget proposals, which will then be discussed, changed if required and approved in the near future.
Although the budget proposal put forward by the Mayor and Councillor for Finance and Property, Joaquín Albaladejo, is one of austerity, Mateo Hernandez emphasized the maintenance and reinforcement of aid and local benefits to all social sectors of Torrevieja will be upheld. In addition to the General Budget of the City, they also presented the 2011 budget for the Culture Department ‘Joaquin Chapaprieta' of 2,325,000 euros. Alongside that, the budget of the Municipal Habaneras and Polyphony, amounts to 1,356,567 euros.
The mayor stressed that Torrevieja is again one of the first Spanish City Councils presenting the Budget for approval. Hernandez Mateo has indicated that Torrevieja's municipal budget has increased again in terms of more than one million euros, representing a rise of about 1.5%.
Hernandez Mateo added that “As was the case in 2010, there was a decrease of Property Tax (IBI), down to the historical barrier of 0.5%, In absolute terms the City is the only administration to lower taxes to citizens, contrary to the policy developed by the Socialist Government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero” who he said has “indiscriminately raised income tax, VAT and cut social benefits such as the right to work and right to receive fair compensation for pensioners.”
For the first time in history the general budget of the City and its autonomous bodies has been submitted for full approval and can be viewed in real-time by municipal groups, opposition, the media, residents of Torrevieja and all other interested parties at www.torrevieja.es.
Albaladejo has also criticized the discrimination that Torrevieja receives from the Government of Spain, by financially punishing more than 70% of the population, as the National Government only recognizes about 30,000 of the more than 200,000 actually residing in the city! Albaladejo stated that Torrevieja's government team hopes and expects that the 2011 General Budget will be supported by all groups represented in the Municipal Town Hall.
TORREVIEJA: ONE OF SPAIN’S FIRST CITIES TO PRESENT 2011 BUDGET
Times are hard everywhere. Austerity measures have seen strikes and violence in France, discontent in the UK and Ireland a last week we had a major cabinet reshuffle from Zapatero's national government.
Torrevieja is trying and stay ahead of the game by becoming one of the first Spanish cities to present their Budget plan for 2011. Some political commentators, union leaders and members of the PP have said that last week's Spanish cabinet reshuffle was nothing more than a last ditch political attempt at electioneering rather than a serious approach to trying to deal with the recession in Spain, as ‘Spain's most unpopular Prime Minister' (there have only been three!) decides on his own future!
Meanwhile, Torrevieja's Mayor, Pedro Hernandez Mateo's 2011 budget calls for austere, serious and rigorous action, and he states, “without electioneering,” which he says “will reinforce social spending despite the serious economic and financial crisis in our country.”
Torrevieja's budget Statement of Income and Expenditure, has been set at €91,776,512 euros for 2011. Now all opposition political groups have the opportunity to go through the budget proposals, which will then be discussed, changed if required and approved in the near future.
Although the budget proposal put forward by the Mayor and Councillor for Finance and Property, Joaquín Albaladejo, is one of austerity, Mateo Hernandez emphasized the maintenance and reinforcement of aid and local benefits to all social sectors of Torrevieja will be upheld. In addition to the General Budget of the City, they also presented the 2011 budget for the Culture Department ‘Joaquin Chapaprieta' of 2,325,000 euros. Alongside that, the budget of the Municipal Habaneras and Polyphony, amounts to 1,356,567 euros.
The mayor stressed that Torrevieja is again one of the first Spanish City Councils presenting the Budget for approval. Hernandez Mateo has indicated that Torrevieja's municipal budget has increased again in terms of more than one million euros, representing a rise of about 1.5%.
Hernandez Mateo added that “As was the case in 2010, there was a decrease of Property Tax (IBI), down to the historical barrier of 0.5%, In absolute terms the City is the only administration to lower taxes to citizens, contrary to the policy developed by the Socialist Government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero” who he said has “indiscriminately raised income tax, VAT and cut social benefits such as the right to work and right to receive fair compensation for pensioners.”
For the first time in history the general budget of the City and its autonomous bodies has been submitted for full approval and can be viewed in real-time by municipal groups, opposition, the media, residents of Torrevieja and all other interested parties at www.torrevieja.es.
Albaladejo has also criticized the discrimination that Torrevieja receives from the Government of Spain, by financially punishing more than 70% of the population, as the National Government only recognizes about 30,000 of the more than 200,000 actually residing in the city! Albaladejo stated that Torrevieja's government team hopes and expects that the 2011 General Budget will be supported by all groups represented in the Municipal Town Hall.