The Full Council of Totana has approved the votes for the PP and PSOE and IU against + LV consistory general budgets for 2009 amounting to 36 million euros, representing a decrease of 17% the previous financial year, and keeps the investment effort despite the economic crisis and the situation of the municipal coffers by allocating a total of 14 million euros in investment.
This represents a very slight decrease from the 14.2 million euros of investments which contained the budget for the financial year now ending, so that 9.2 million are recorded in addition to 5 million euros allocated for this municipality in the Inter-territorial Compensation Fund of the State.
The proposed municipal budget for next year was discussed at the last regular full year, which also includes a significant reduction in staff costs and currents of the Consistory for the year 2008, which cut amounts to about two million euros.
The Councillor for Finance, Bartholomew Pallares, said the investment effort and the total expenditure restraint will be making various local government council to reconcile the maintenance of public services and the optimization of economic resources, and reiterated that it will contain a considerable debt to non-recourse, first, to loans.
He further stated that this budget is realistic and commensurate with the current economic and financial situation of the municipality and of the Consistory, whose investments will result in a total of 38 important steps, and said that does not provide any credit operation in 2009 with In order to sustain long-term debt.
The mayor reported that he will produce a 17% decline in the revenue and 7 million euros in expenses from 2008, subject to the current crisis and recalled that in the last five years tripled the municipal acquisition of property by the Consistory.
The budget for 2009, according to Pallares, special emphasis on services and quality of life of different groups totaneros, as well as security, education, culture and employment, among other priority actions of the municipality, all while retaining the strong capacity Consistory investment by finding other sources of funding.
So, has highlighted some investments for 2009, as the tender new Health Centre, the new Education Center and Primary Children in the urbanization "La Ramblica" the Works and Services Plan for an amount of 60,000 euros, extending the bridge of the N-340 (300,000 euros), the first phase of the Youth Resource Center (400,000), the collector and reservoir of the Rambla de Los Arcos (750,000) and the drinking water tank in Las Viñas (360,000).
Among the budget allocated to the different municipal areas highlights the investment for the expansion and improvements in schools (500,000 euros)-among which highlights the CP Deitania (300,000) - the improvement in sports facilities (260,000), road repair agreement rural (300,000) and actions in promoting business sector (100,000), among others.
Debate reactions
The mayor, José Martínez Andreo, lamented the obstructionist position, and little collaborationist opposition groups in their contribution to the document relates and urged the National Government to increase its investment efforts of local governments.
The mayor, who stressed that the adoption of the document in the current year, adding that it responds to the municipal government's commitments to citizens and stressed that this proposal supports companies and the creation of SMEs through the promotion of educational projects, the implementation of four employment programs and recruitment of youth, women and unemployed, for what is destined almost 3 million euros.
He said consolidating the social policies, doubling the emergency line for the most disadvantaged social, and applies a rigorous quality control plan for the implementation of the budget and increase the support expressed for professional associations and the productive sectors Totana.
For their part, spokesmen for the PSOE and IU groups have agreed in criticizing the delay in receiving documentation to consider the draft budget and have stressed that it is unrealistic and unbalanced budgets where revenues are inflated and costs soar.
Predicted a rise in the deficit by the lack of income in various taxes and fees.
During the debate, the Socialist Party has proposed to let the budget on the table and create a working committee to agree on the document, whose amendment was rejected.
Source: Ayuntamiento de Totana. Foto: Totana.com