The plenary session approves a reduction in the tax rate of IBI, of motor vehicle tax and to maintain without charging the rate of tables and chairs in 2022

The plenary session of the corporation in its session today has unanimously approved the modification of Tax Ordinance number 1 that regulates the Real Estate Tax (IBI). This modification responds to the implementation of a Municipal Tax Reduction Plan that will lower the IBI tax rate by 0.12 points to 0.670. Aida García Mayor, Councilor for the Treasury, has stated in this regard that the modification is carried out “with all the precautions that allow to continue with compliance with the expenditure control measures and with the conviction of carrying out a reduction of the burden fiscal over the next few years without harming municipal services and investments ”.

The proposal has received an amendment from the socialist group so that the tax rate is lowered from 0.670 to 0.500, but it has not been successful due to the votes against the government team. The councilor for the Treasury has justified it by indicating that there was a contrary report from the Treasury. The report, has indicated the mayor, "does not consider prudent or recommend" the socialist proposal. Aida García added that if the amendment were approved, “it would compromise projects for 2022”.

The councilor has reiterated the "commitment" of the local government to undertake another tax cut next year "which will not compromise the investments of this council."

In today's session, the amendments to Tax Ordinances number 3, regulating the Tax on Mechanical Traction Vehicles, and number 20, regulating the rate for occupation of the local public domain, have also been unanimously approved.

The modification of Ordinance number 3 will have a “significant” impact, with a reduction of an average of 0.3 coefficient points, which will imply “a 47% decrease in receipts for small-caliber mopeds and motorcycles, and between 18.75% and 23.52% in the receipts of the vast majority of passenger cars ”has specified Aida García.

Regarding Ordinance number 20, the corporation has unanimously approved the extension until December 31, 2022 of the suspension of the rate for occupation of tables and chairs on public roads.

By majority, with the favorable votes of PP and PSOE and the vote against of Ciudadanos, the Participatory Budget Self-Regulation of 2022 has been approved, a document provided by the Evaluation Commission of the Neighborhood Council, of which the Councilor for Citizenship Participation, Ana Pellicer has said that "it guarantees participation and participatory democracy."

At this point, the Citizens group has requested the withdrawal of the agenda, stating that the Neighborhood Council has not met in two years. The withdrawal of the point, however, has not been attended by the government team. Pellicer stressed that the Neighborhood Council itself has argued as a reason for not meeting the health situation "and that is why they have adapted their mechanisms to the current circumstances."

The councillor also reminded the spokesman for Ciudadanos party, Juan Balastegui, that the Self-regulation "is inspired by the same criteria as last year, which was approved unanimously." In the opinion of the head of Participation, "Ciudadanos party confuse Neighborhood Council meetings, of which their confidentiality must be respected, with the work meetings held by the government team with the‘ On the street ’campaign." "Do not ask me" she has snapped "to make you part of our day to day." In addition, she has considered that with the vote against "they restrict citizen participation in municipal budgets, improvement in neighborhoods and that residents have an accessible way of dialogue so that they choose the city model they want." Finally, she stressed that "it is the first time that a political group has voted against the participatory democracy of the Neighborhood Council."

The beach services to be provided by the concessionaire for the months of November and December have also been unanimously approved. The Beaches councilor, Mónica Gómez, has alluded to the technical report in which the cleaning and lifeguard services are specified, as well as the hammocks and umbrellas. Thus, the placement of 3,500 daily hammocks will continue in force. "The concessionaire will provide its services according to the report and the city council will have to pay 128,511.16 euros plus VAT in the month of November and 131,209.02 plus VAT in December. That same month, another proposal will be raised to the plenary to establish the services for the months of January and following.

Likewise, the proposal for the extension of the maintenance contract for the parks and gardens of Benidorm has been unanimously advanced. As explained by the Councilor for Public Space, José Ramón González de Zárate, the technical reports indicate that "the contract is extended" to continue with the maintenance of the city's green areas, which was awarded to the company Actúa, Servicios y Environment. González de Zárate has indicated that the specifications reflected the possibility of extending the contract annually, to the satisfaction of the parties. "The contract, in addition, is updated with the new green areas that we are going to have," said the mayor, who also added that the safety of the company's workers is "guaranteed."

The plenary session has also agreed to extend the term of execution of the comprehensive renovation work of Avenida del Mediterráneo, phase 1, which is extended until the end of February 2022. At this point both the socialist group and Citizens have voted against of the proposal.

José Ramón González de Zárate, Councilor for Works, began by remarking that residents and tourists "have been enjoying the new avenue for a year, which is being very well received and has led us to be a national and international benchmark." The councilor has admitted however that "there are things that are missing, it is true," but explained that in the technical reports "these delays appear justified", motivated "by the health crisis, which has caused significant delays worldwide in the supply iron and electrical components, which are the main materials of the tecnohito ”. "These are circumstances that can occur, but what we cannot do is punish and harm companies because it is a problem outside of them," added González de Zárate.

The Councilor for Works has also specified that the delays in both the public lighting and the ornamental fountain "have already been solved" and that "only the technohito and some cabling are missing from the telecommunications companies, as has also been corroborated by the optional management of the work and the municipal engineering department ”.

Unanimously has also had the institutional declaration for a fair financing emanating from a proposal of the Board of Spokespersons. It calls for an "immediate" reform of the financing system that establishes a new model with sufficient resources and equitably distributed among all the autonomies. The declaration also requires "some investments adjusted to our population weight" and that "the distribution of investments and the execution attend to a rational programming that ends the investment deficit in the Valencian Community". In addition, the recognition of the financing deficits accumulated directly by the malfunction of the different financing systems is requested ”that have generated“ an unsustainable debt ”.

Unanimously, the transfer to Iberdrola of several plots of land for the location of transformation centers on land for residential use of the Partial Plan 2/1 Poniente has been approved.

Ciudadanos group has presented two motions to the plenary session. The first one was related to the carrying out of improvement and renovation works in the Paque de l'Aigüera and has not been approved as the government team understands that the actions in the park are "constant".

The second, which has finally remained on the table at the request of the Cs group, was a proposal to carry out actions for the prevention of suicide by awareness and prevention campaigns to combat social isolation and promote autonomy, as well as the development of a protocol for the prevention and intervention of suicidal behavior for the most vulnerable professional groups.