Town hall take-over
Local authority changes hands following political shenanigans
TEULADA Moraira town hall has new hands at the helm after a vote of no confidence ousted the alliance headed by Rosa Vila – the first woman to hold the position of mayor.
Raúl Llobell of the Partido Popular replaces the Compromis politician in the hot seat after their motion was carried by nine votes to seven with one abstention.
It was a controversial vote on Tuesday.
Councillors arriving at the town hall for the vote were greeted by a crowd of around 150 people supporting the outgoing mayoress and heckling the PP and the pair who tipped the balance – two former Socialist party (PSOE) members banded ‘turncoats’ and kicked out of the party after allying themselves with the conservatives and signing the motion.
The vote of no confidence ended Sra Vila’s 18 months in charge of the Marina Alta municipality after she fronted a minority government in recent weeks.
It also means the traditional PP stronghold has been returned to the party.
Tensions had been running high since January when the two then PSOE members sided with the PP in rejecting budget proposals and were subsequently dropped from the government alliance.
At the end of the meeting, the new mayor was presented with the symbolic baton by the head of the old regime.
Sr Llobell promised he assumed control ‘with responsibility and emotion’; promising he would lead a team ‘at the service of the people’. He said there were ‘great challenges for the future’ and promised proposals to achieve a string of ‘social policies’, a fight to improve facilities, and to continue the battle against the effects of the Covid-19 crisis.