The plenary session approves, with the votes of PP and PSOE, the 2022 budget of 128 million and focused on reactivating the local economy

The plenary session of the City Council has approved today, with the votes in favor of the PP government and the socialist municipal group, the municipal budget for 2022, which amounts to 128 million euros and is aimed at "the reactivation of the local economy" already "Preparing Benidorm to face the new challenges of the post-COVID stage, making a significant investment effort that will allow us to once again become a reference tourist destination", as explained by the Councilor for the Treasury, Aída García Mayor.
The mayor has clarified that the 2022 budget "is not a fixed photograph", but "is subject to change, depending on the reality of the moment"; and fundamentally to articulate "aid as has been done in the last two years to serve people", which "are the center of our political action".
García Mayor has reported that the document contemplates "an increase in the total volume of expenses of 11.0% and of income of 9.9%" compared to 2021.
Thus, in the investment section, the budget stands at 31,589,959.68 euros compared to 24,218,763.14 euros the previous year, to comply with the execution "of the projects that have subsidies" from national administrations and European, such as the Sustainable and Integrative Urban Development Strategy (EDUSI) or IDAE; as well as for “the payment of the sentence of El Moralet”. Also in this chapter, 500,000 euros are contemplated for projects proposed by citizens through the 'Participatory Budgets', exceeding the minimum percentage of 5% established by the regulations, an amount that will be allocated to projects proposed by citizens.
In the chapter on goods and services, the expected expenses rise to 41,590,731.68, an increase that is mainly due to “the change in management of the WWTP”. For its part, the Personnel item stands at 45,644,194.36 euros and includes "the 2.0% salary increase" approved by the Government of Spain, "the increase in Social Security contribution quotas", the repercussion of “the VPT application” and the increase derived “from the great municipal employment plan with programs such as ECOVID and EMPUJU programs.
An increase is also expected in items to "finance Social Welfare services" and "loans" for investments, which grew by 9.1 million euros compared to the previous year.
García Mayor has stressed that the accounts reflect "the reduction in IBI, vehicle tax, and the suspension of the rate of tables and chairs throughout the year", as well as "the drop in income from municipal capital gains", which is expected to be 80% below previous years “based on the new regulations approved by the Central Government”.
The mayor has stressed that the budget "has been agreed" with the socialist municipal group "by signing 9 commitments" that the government team "will record in the corresponding items within the agreed period." It is, therefore, he stated, a budget that "has the support of the vast corporate majority" as a result of "dialogue, active listening and consensus".
Investments included in the 2022 municipal budget
The 2022 budget gives continuity to the investments included in the large plans that have European or Central Government financing and that must compulsorily comply with an execution schedule. This is the case of the projects included in EDUSI, such as the start of the remodeling project of the bullring (2,078,276.40 euros), the construction of the youth hostel in Parque de la Séquia Mare (1,270,500 euros) , the environmental adaptation of El Moralet (454,151.80 euros), or the improvement of accessibility in the upper part of Foietes and Els Tolls (2.4 million). Likewise, new EDUSI projects are also promoted, such as the mediation center in Els Tolls and other actions in real estate (1,360,000 euros), and the improvement of depressed spaces (300,000 euros), among others.
Also, projects foreseen in the Tourism Sustainability Plan are budgeted, such as the construction of Aula del Mar and others (975,000 euros); or the projects co-financed by IDAE for lighting renovation (3,035,933.93 euros and already underway), installation of photovoltaic panels in public centers or biogas (610,597.10 euros).
In the same way, the promotion of projects such as the extension of 'Sant Jaume' cemetery (2 million euros) or complementing the endowment of the cultural center, in this case with the stage box (700,000 euros) and the furniture (381,237, 74 euros).
As for new projects, the municipal accounts for 2022 foresee, among others, a Sidewalk Plan (950,000), the renovation of Paseo de Levante catenary (1.9 million euros), the replacement of Poniente walkway (983,798.57 euros), the adaptation of roads in school zones (827,536.26 euros), the improvement of l'Hort de Colón (200,000 euros) or the fourth phase of the Antiguo Hogar del Camarada (50,000).
In addition, and based on the agreement reached with the socialist group, funds will be allocated for the construction of two new 8-a-side soccer fields and, in a subsidiary manner, the rehabilitation of the bus station.
Other issues
Unanimously and by way of urgency, a proposal from the Board of Spokespersons has been approved to nominate the road currently called Calle Amanecer under the name of Carrer Alcalde Agustín Navarro Alvado. Next February 5 marks one year since the death of the man who was mayor between September 22, 2009 and June 13, 2015, whose life "was always closely linked to the streets of the El Campo neighborhood, where his family resides. and from where in his childhood and youth he experienced first-hand the transformation of the city that ended up becoming the European capital of sun and beach tourism” reads the motion.
Navarro was “a jovial and friendly person, in love with Benidorm and its island, to which he went almost daily in his childhood”. In his political career, he performed organic functions in PSPV-PSOE at the local and regional level, being a provincial deputy between 2007 and 2009 and in the 2015-19 administration.
He was also well known in the festive sphere, having been president of the Festes Majors Patronals, a founding member of La Soca, the oldest club in the city, and linked to the Brotherhood of Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno and the Nautical Club, among other entities. . After the vote there was heartfelt applause from the entire corporation and those attending the plenary session in tribute to the figure of the former mayor of the city.
Within the agenda, the collaboration agreement between Turisme Comunitat Valenciana and Benidorm City Council for the development of the Red Tourist Info program has been unanimously approved, as there is a favorable report in which it is considered "necessary" to continue “with this close collaboration for the continuous improvement of our products and our attention to tourists”.
Likewise, the revised text of amendments 1 to 22 of the Urban Planning Regulations for Building and Urban Land Use and the Specific Ordinances for Building and Urban Land Use and Development Planning Conditions has been approved. General Plan of 1990. The technicians had considered it convenient to have the Rules and Ordinances documents suitably updated, giving them diffusion and easy access by inserting them in the municipal Urbanism website, as explained by the mayor of the area, Lourdes Caselles.
The plenary session has also unanimously approved the transfer to the City Council of an area of ​​98 square meters for public roads by the property of the land of Benidorm Service Station, located on Comunidad Valenciana avenue. A strip of land that is used for the execution of works of the 2020 Road Safety and Accessibility Improvement Project, as detailed by the Councilor for Public Space, José Ramón González de Zárate.
By majority, a decree dated January 26 has been ratified to send a series of reports to AVAF.
In the same way, with the favorable vote of the government team, the National Government and the Generalitat will be requested to amend the Public Sector Contracts Law and actions to enable the revision of prices in contracts affected by the rise in prices of the raw materials. The local government spokeswoman, Lourdes Caselles, has specified that what was intended was “a change in the law to make prices more flexible and that these be adapted to reality. Several companies have already requested it”. Caselles has stressed that the lack of supplies suffered by companies "is a worldwide phenomenon and that is why we demand that there be an economic balance so that these companies do not suffer losses when they have to carry out a work". At this point the socialist group has positioned itself against while Cs has abstained.
With the votes of the local government, a motion of the popular municipal group has gone ahead, demanding that the President of the Government "immediately rectify the statements of the Minister of Consumption and the cessation of the same for his repeated attacks" on the meat sector. The spokeswoman Lourdes Caselles has described as "serious irresponsibility" the statements of Minister Garzón and President Pedro Sánchez "who constantly attack the primary sector with falsehoods". Caselles has defended the installation of meat activities "because they meet the requirements demanded at national and European level" and in that sense she has specified that "a file for violation of the regulations has never been opened". The mayor has also defended the "great work" of the thousands of Spanish farmers and people linked to the sector "so that it meets the regulations and quality standards."
The plenary session has also reported the audit report of the 2020 General Account, as well as the data from the City Sentinel service on the concentration analytics of SARS-Cov-2 in Benidorm sewage system. In the same way, the judgment of the Contentious-Administrative number 4 of Alicante has been reported, which dismissed the appeal of the Government Subdelegation against the plenary agreement that approved the Municipal Job Assessment on December 30, 2020. Finally It has also become aware of the letter from the Councilor for the Water Cycle to the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation to file an appeal against a sanction by this body against the City Council for an alleged punctual discharge into the Amadorio River.
urgent motion
In addition to the motion of the Board of Spokespersons, a proposal by the spokespersons of the municipal group of PP, Lourdes Caselles and Mónica Gómez, to urge the Consortium of the Zonal Plan 6, has also been approved with the votes of the government. to annul the agreement of its General Meeting regarding the fixed and mobile ecoparks "due to the lack of regulatory documentation regarding its economic and legal viability".
Such agreement approved the modification of the Management Project of the Zonal Waste Plan in relation to the development of the management of the ecoparks service. Thus, as indicated in the motion, while the initial project contemplated an annual cost of 2.5 million, with the approved modification that cost would reach six million euros, "which represents an impact of more than double for the municipalities" .
The approved proposal asks the Consortium to provide an Intervention report and carry out a study of the economic repercussions that such agreement will have for each of the 52 consortium municipalities "to know the scope and effect on their budgets of the repercussion of the proposed modification ”.
The Councilor for Street Cleaning, José Ramón González de Zárate, lamented that the agreement adopted by the Consortium “is not consistent or common sense. That is why we ask for reports, because in some way the Consortium will have to compensate the investments we have made”.