Calpe spending budget to top €39 million

CALPE council has definitively approved the budgets for 2019, and they amount to €39,206,725. Mayor, César Sánchez, labelled the figure as 'realistic, responsible and not political and this will allow us to continue with projects already started in previous years, as well as the implementation of new ones' during the budget meeting held this week.

A positive provision was made for aid towards property tax for some retired people, pensioners under 65 years and people in situations of longterm unemployment who are at risk of social exclusion. These groups can obtain a bonus of up to €400 and up to 75% of the taxable amount. The budget for this help has initially been provisioned at €100,000.

An amount of €220,000 will be allocated for the creation of the Espai Parc sports facility in the area behind the Domingo Crespo pavilion. It will include a skating and roller hockey rink, a skate park and a running circuit.

The budget also provides for the creation of a toy library, which will be undertaken during the next two years at a cost of €70,000.

A car park will be extended in Pla de la Senieta to host more than 500 spaces, This will connect with the new link road to the N332 and will cost €280,000.

As for the projects that will continue in 2019, there is the regeneration of the Manzanera area, a lighting and asphalting plan of the urbanisations, the 4th and 5th phase of the music band building, the 5th phase of the cemetery extension and the new section of the link road. The council will also continue with the adaptation of the parking in the old town which will allow the creation of 100 new spaces. Landscaping of the access roundabouts and the installation of lighting of the north roundabout will also be completed.

All subsidies towards local associations, transport aid and school materials will be maintained.

During the budget meeting, the Socialist party had requested the reduction of 5% percent on property tax and rubbish collection tax, but this was rejected as amendment had an unfavourable report from the financial controller. He stated that in order to reduce these taxes, a modification of the respective ordinances that regulate them is required. However, Sanchez then proposed the creation of two studies where a reduction of these taxes can be considered and agreed upon.

Finally, Sanchez announced that the municipal debt has been reduced by more than 50% since 2011, and that unemployment figures that have fallen by 30% in the same period of time.