The plenary session supports joining the Economic Stimulus Fund and seeking ways to reach an agreement with the owners of APR7

Benidorm City Council plenary session approved on Friday its adherence to the Economic Stimulus Fund and the formalisation of a loan operation with the financial institutions determined by the ICO (Official Credit Institute), charged to the Local Entities Financing Fund, for an amount of €55,000,000.00. The amount, as explained by the government spokesperson, Lourdes Caselles, will be used to cover part of the compensation ordered by the High Court of Justice (TSJ) of the Valencian Community for land in Serra Gelada.

Caselles pointed out that the adherence to this state mechanism for obtaining financing has “all the necessary favourable reports from municipal technicians” and reiterated that it is “our standard practice at all times.” Joining this fund “is possible because the City Council’s accounts are perfectly sound,” as the spokesperson and Mayor Toni Pérez himself have pointed out, a fact also noted by the Ministry of Finance when it opened this “window of opportunity,” and confirmed by municipal technicians in their reports. Specifically, the Municipal Auditor’s Office, in its report of January 28, 2026, which is part of the file, considers that the City Council “can assume the repayment of this amount without compromising the services currently provided by the municipality,” over a period of 12 years and at an interest rate of around 3.5%, with amortization beginning in 2027, according to the schedule proposed by the technicians, and without resulting in a tax increase.

The application for a €55 million loan to join this Economic Stimulus Fund was approved by a large majority of the plenary session, with votes in favor from the People's Party (PP) and the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), and an abstention from Vox.

Likewise, as part of the actions to comply with the aforementioned ruling, the plenary session also unanimously approved granting a seven-day hearing period to the parties with recognised rights based on Ruling 343/2024 of the High Court of Justice of the Valencian Community (TSJCV). This hearing will allow them to comment on the feasibility of establishing a collaboration agreement for its implementation and, if applicable, on the content and terms of such an agreement. As the mayor announced a few days ago, municipal technicians will participate in this hearing, but political representatives will not be involved.

During the regular session in February, the plenary also approved, with votes in favour from the PP and PSOE and votes against from Vox, the Benidorm City Council's adherence to the declaration of the Valencian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FVMP) on the occasion of International Women's Day on March 8th. The Councillor for Equality, Ángela Zaragozí, stated that, once again, "the Benidorm City Council reaffirms its commitment to gender equality, to the elimination of gender-based violence and discrimination, to women's participation in society, and to true equality of opportunity."

The approved text, agreed upon by the main political parties within the Valencian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FVMP), emphasizes that “municipalities are committed to continuing to work towards the elimination of all forms of discrimination and to promoting policies and actions that foster equal opportunities in the workplace, education, and society,” also encouraging “the active participation of women in decision-making and in the political, social, and cultural life of our municipalities,” adds the text read by the Councilor for Equality.

Zaragozí recalled that Benidorm City Council “has had an Equality Department since 2000” and reiterated that, as has been done since then, “we will continue working as we have been doing in favour of women in all areas.”

In economic matters, a budget amendment of €1,852,386.47 has been approved to incorporate this amount, drawn from the 2025 Treasury Surplus for Earmarked Funding, to advance the development of various projects included in the Destination Tourism Sustainability Plans. The Finance Councillor, Aida García Mayor, explained that “the Treasury Surplus for Earmarked Funding represents the balance of available funds that are linked to specific expenditures with designated funding,” a balance that “is calculated by the difference between the recognised income for each project and the recognised obligations for the same.”

Although the 2025 budget settlement, which will include the final balance of the Treasury Surplus for Earmarked Funding, has not yet been approved, the councilwoman added, “the execution and earmarked funding of the projects in both Plans are known, so to expedite their processing, it is considered necessary to approve the budget amendment as soon as possible.”

The proposal was approved with votes in favour from the Popular Party and Vox, and votes against from the Socialist group.

Another item that has been approved, in this case unanimously by the City Council, is the Municipal Plan for Addictive Behaviours 2026-2029. According to the Councillor for Social Welfare, Ángela Zaragozí, this document aims to "plan and organise resources, objectives, and actions related to the prevention of drug addiction and other addictive behaviours that develop at the local level," as well as "promote healthy lifestyle habits, increasing health behaviours and awareness of the community's health assets." Zaragozí stated that "we are the municipality in the province that allocates the most resources to this area, second only to the city of Alicante," and pointed out that "we want to continue being a benchmark in the work carried out by the Addictive Behaviours Prevention Unit in the prevention and care of our young people."

In other news, all groups supported the initial approval of the Municipal Acoustic Plan, a document previously presented to the Mobility Council. This plan covers the entire municipality and integrates the Acoustic Map, the Acoustic Zoning, and the Municipal Action Program, as explained by the Councillor for Urban Scene, Francis Muñoz. The councillor noted that "this document shows a generally favourable situation compared to municipalities with similar characteristics" and that a one-month public comment period is now open so that citizens can submit comments, proposals, and suggestions for improvements.

At the proposal of the Finance Department, and with votes in favour from the local government and VOX and votes against from the Socialist group, a modification to Tax Ordinance No. 9, regulating the fee for participation in selection processes and administrative qualifying tests, was also provisionally approved. Councilwoman Aida García Mayor has announced that this approval will allow the inclusion of a differentiated fee for the service provided in the tests for obtaining the professional competence certificate for the provision of taxi service in Benidorm, giving it a specific regulation that did not exist until now, and which will result in a single payment of 35 euros.

Citizenship participation and public recognition

Regarding Citizen Participation, the plenary session has once again supported the development of participatory budgeting, unanimously approving, at the proposal of the Neighbourhood Council, the self-regulation for the 2027 participatory budget. The councilor for the area, Ana Pellicer, explained that “eleven years have now passed since the Benidorm City Council launched the first participatory budget in 2015, directly and effectively involving citizens in municipal decision-making, thus strengthening participatory democracy.” She also noted that “it is the citizens who, with this tool, determine the allocation of at least 5% of the Benidorm City Council's investment budget” and highlighted that for next year “a series of improvements will be introduced to make the process simpler and more efficient.”

At the suggestion of the Councillor for Public Service, Jesús Carrobles, a motion was also unanimously approved requesting the Valencian Regional Government to initiate the procedure for awarding distinctions and decorations to four members of the Benidorm Local Police force. Specifically, a public commendation was requested for Officer Álvaro Fuertes Rojas and Agent Yolanda Bocos Martínez for their actions on August 2, 2026. Thanks to their actions and determination, they were able to stop the driver of a vehicle who was driving recklessly through pedestrian areas and on sidewalks, fleeing from an accident he had caused. After a chase, during which he drove at high speed, ignoring the flashing lights and sirens of police vehicles, damaging other vehicles, and endangering people, he was finally apprehended.

Public commendation has also been requested for officers Francisco Javier Sánchez Molina and David Fontanet González for their intervention on 21/01/2026, in which, thanks to their skill in identifying and locating a person with suicidal intentions in the crowd and their subsequent determination in restraining this person, they prevented him from throwing himself onto the train tracks with the intention of ending his life.

Municipal School Board

In the area of ​​Education, the plenary session unanimously approved, at the proposal of the Councillor for Education, Maite Moreno, the appointment of the members who will form part of the new composition of Benidorm Municipal School Council. This council includes representatives from Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), teachers, principals of public and private schools, the education administration, and students, as well as the most representative unions, neighbourhood associations, and social services.

The Popular Party and the Socialist group rejected the motion promoted by the Vox councillor to prevent women from accessing municipal premises when their face is fully covered (niqab, burka, or other equivalent garments).

Reports and Extraordinary Business

In the final part of the agenda, three reports were included. These included a correction of an error in the minutes of the 2013 plenary session, page 195, last paragraph; and a report on appeal 613/2024. The court order of February 4th dismissed the motion to annul and supplement judgment APR7, and Mayoral Decree number 665/2026, which declared a day of official mourning for the death of Councilor María Luz Navarro Fuster. The plenary session also acknowledged the loss of María Luz Navarro Fuster's status as a councillor.

Both the Socialist spokesperson, Cristina Escoda, and the mayor, Toni Pérez, publicly expressed their condolences for the passing of Mari Luz Navarro and thanked everyone for the outpouring of affection and support received since her sad loss on February 15th.

Following this acknowledgement, and during extraordinary business outside the scheduled agenda, her successor, María Teresa Águila Santos, was sworn in as a councillor of the Municipal Corporation. María Teresa Águila was already a councillor of Benidorm City Council between 2015 and 2023, so Mayor Toni Pérez has welcomed her "back" as a public representative.