Mayor's job on the line in 'no-confidence' threat
Opposition parties join forces to outs El Verger's Socialist mayor Ximo Coll
EL VERGER'S mayor is facing an attempt to oust him from office after the Partido Popular (PP) and Compromís voted down his budget.
The two opposition parties voted to table a motion of no confidence, meaning they now have a month to figure out how they can work together in order to form a majority to take over from Socialist (PSOE) mayor Ximo Coll.
Basili Salort, leader of leftwing regional party Compromís, is Coll's former coalition partner following the 2015 elections, which the PP - then led by Miguel Bañó - lost after the PSOE and Compromís forged a pact.
This time around though, Coll has a minority of five councillors against the total of six on the opposing side.
But he is not expecting the no-confidence vote to prosper, since it seems very unlikely that two parties of such opposing values would be able to work together – even though party ideology is far less emphasised at local level and, in some towns, the PP can seem a more left-leaning, pro-social outfit than the Socialists or Compromís.
This is one area where Salort agrees with his old partner, despite their turbulent joint government having led to a major rift between them.
“It's tricky, that's true. We're not going to set up lone traps; the Socialists are the mostvoted party and it is their responsibility to govern, but they need to change direction and agree to dialogue,” Salort admitted. [Coll] is putting his ego before public health – the budget session should have been online, not in person.”
PP leader Adela Moncho accused Coll of 'trying to approve the budget in the most undemocratic way imaginable'.
Delaying vital funds for local traders hit by lockdown
Coll claimed the opposition is 'just putting spokes in the wheel for the sake of it'.
“Our management is good, we're meeting deadlines for paying suppliers, and keeping within spending and budget stability limits,” argued Coll, whose wife, Carolina Vives is mayor of neighbouring Els Poblets.
“The PP left us with a debt of €4 million, and we've reduced it to €1.3m. This is the first budget we've been able to vote on without having to send it to Madrid for approval first.”
El Verger was one of many towns nationwide put on 'debt watch' and required to get a national government signature for its annual spending plans.
“And this budget is urgent, because we need to deal with the crisis caused by Covid-19 and give financial aid to our local traders, but our hands are tied until it's approved.”
He complained that if the budget does not pass the vote, El Verger will also lose out on a €60,000 grant to restore the duke of Medinaceli's tower, one of the municipality's most iconic monuments.
If Compromís and the PP cannot strike a deal to oust Coll within a month, the budget will be automatically approved.