In the ordinary plenary session in December, the Ondara City Council approved the 2024 Municipal Budget, the execution bases and the staffing table. This point was supported by the Government team formed by the PSPV-PSOE and Compromís, although it received votes against the PP. Jordi Ruíz-Orejón, councilor of the Treasury, detailed the bases of the document. The document amounts to a total of 8.500.000 euros, which represents an increase of 675.000 euros (+8,63%) compared to the current year's budget, which was 7.825.000 euros.
WHITHOUT MOTHER
Regarding the municipal company WHITHOUT MOTHER, 2.223.000 euros are allocated for 2024, an increase of 153.000 euros compared to 2023, which had a budget of 2.070.000 euros. The contribution of this year from the City Council to the municipal company increases by 100.000 euros, leaving a balance of 1.850.000 euros.
According to Jordi Ruíz-Orejón, in the collection service, the forecasts for SUMA increase by 70.000 euros. In the personnel chapter, in addition to the increase that the General State Budgets will mark for the entire civil service, foreseeably 2,5% of the salary mass and the adaptation due to the increase in the Minimum Interprofessional Salary, different technical figures have been reinforced, in addition of the transformation of others. These are the extension of the architect's day and the creation of the job of an industrial engineer on staff, as well as an administrative assistant. These transformations represent a increase in the Personnel Chapter, quantified at +233.000 euros, 8,2% compared to 2023.
On the other hand, the Treasury councilor has highlighted that a game of 30.000 euros in social aid for those families with low economic resources that cannot afford the increase in taxes and fees made this year. This item will be expanded if necessary during the year 2024.
Investment
Brianda investment, in 2024 the item is 360.000 euros, mainly due to the municipal contribution to the investment projects of Planifica 2024-2028 (Alicante Provincial Council), 237.500 euros have been allocated, increasing this chapter by 95.000 compared to the previous year: 119.000 euros that They will be used to improve streets in the Tossals area; 56.000 euros for the provision of spaces in Tossals Park and 62.500 euros for the improvement of urban mobility.
The mayor of Ondara, José Ramiro, indicated that the 2024 budget seeks to avoid having to dispose of the remaining treasury, seeking budgetary stability with liquidity, through taxes and fees. Ramiro indicated that "the Government team wants to maintain budget containment but without counting on treasury remnants that directly affect the entity's liquidity, within economic circumstances external to public accounts, such as inflation and the increase in prices of both supplies, services and works", adding that "the philosophy of the government team in budget containment is maintained." Furthermore, he recalled that in the September and October plenary sessions, modifications were made to different tax ordinances to ensure the necessary income without having treasury remnants.
The vote against the PP
In turn, the PP spokesperson, Àlex Hernández, made an analysis of the different items budgets to argue against his group's vote. He indicated that the increase in 2024 compared to the 2023 budget in the case of chapter 1 (personnel expenses) is 233.000 euros; in chapter 2 (current expenses) the increase is 283.000 euros; in 4 (current transfers) it is +57.000; in 6 (real investments) of more than 95.000 euros and in 9 (financial liabilities) +7.000 euros. In the case of income, the increase in direct tax collection amounts to 411.000; In indirect taxes, collection decreases compared to 2023 to 75.000 euros; while the rates increase by 269.000 euros and current transfers by 70.000 euros. Given this, Àlex Hernández wondered where the increase in spending of 675.000 euros in 2024 is.
According to Hernández, "personnel expenses increase by 233.000 euros, of which 55% are due to 3 new positions for civil servants." In this regard, he said that the PP thinks that "in these times we should have continued with the same administrative management formula to save 130.000 euros." Spending on council departments, repairs, materials, fuel, etc., has increased, according to Àlex Hernández, by 283.000 euros, of which 35% is allocated to the council departments, a total of 100.000 euros that could have been saved "when we are suffocating the town's residents with taxes. In this regard, the mayor pointed out that spending on council departments has increased not by 100.000 but by 10.000 euros; 1,5%.
Regarding the changes in some council departments, the PP spokesperson said that in that of Seniors falls by 40% while that of Tourism rises by 500%, and asked why a council that historically has always had a budget item of 8.000 euros, now has 40.000 euros. In this regard, José Ramiro argued that in the case of the Elderly, it is because the medication program is transferred to the Department of Health; and in the case of Tourism, he advanced that it is to continue promoting the town, because tourism is culture, heritage and festivals, and actions will be carried out throughout the year. Continuing with other council departments, the popular spokesperson indicated that council departments such as Popular Festivals, festivals or Culture rise a little, and they think that "now is not the time."
For the PP, "another expense from chapter 2 that we would have saved is that of legal advice", starting with an endowment of 25.000 euros which for the PP "are completely avoidable if things are done well, for example, in 2014 the budget executed by the PP government in this item was 5.000 euros," he recalled. In this regard, the mayor indicated that it was to confront the courts with those who want to take advantage of the Ondara City Council, and to defend the interests of the residents of Ondara. He gave as an example the cases of the Espai Jove works and the pavilion grounds, with rulings that have ruled in favor of the City Council.
Sports Schools
One of the main points of the plenary debate was the issue of Sports Schools. Àlex Hernández opted for the recovery of the public management of the Escoles Esportives through SINMA, indicating that "we pay the concessionaire company about 230.000 euros of which 130.000 euros are to pay payroll and social security, and approximately 100.000 euros is what "The company stays for the management, a management that SINMA has always done." He was thus betting on SINMA being the one to manage the Escoles Esportives again instead of an external company and providing SINMA with the necessary resources to do so, understanding that the company always makes a profit, and that in this way the increase could have been saved. of school fees for families. In this regard, José Ramiro indicated that it could be studied but that the entire management of the Escoles Esportives by SINMA is unfeasible, and that in any case it would not be a saving of 100.000 euros. He also announced that the most important thing for the SINMA company "is to recover water management in the municipality." For his part, the Councilor for Sports, Lluís Fornés, assured that the company that manages the coaches' payrolls does not keep 100.000 euros and that it would be seen in the invoices.
On the other hand, the PP referred to the reduction in income of 75.000 euros in construction taxes, indicating that "it must be worked on in campaigns and bonuses to attract new construction and reform to Ondara, because in addition to income "Moreover, it would also have an impact on the price of rent in our town, benefiting the tenants."
For Àlex Hernández, the PP considers the spending chapter "unnecessary": "If we add the figures that we have detailed as items that we thought we could save and those that we could pay more for taxes on construction, we could end up with 457.000 euros to invest in other very important things. And he gave the example of “having invested more in the Escoles Esportives, lowering the fee instead of raising it and improving their services; not having reduced spending on building maintenance by 10% compared to last year (we have many deficiencies to improve in our assets, such as in the radio building, and we have to do it now); we could have avoided the increase in the garbage collection rate; we could have hired a toilet for our schools; "Or we could have corrected the deficiencies of the day center and adapted it to be able to open its doors in 2024." Therefore, he said, his vote was against, and they hope that during the year "things can be worked on in a better way and that we can unanimously approve sufficient credit modifications to transform these budgets." It should be noted that regarding the Day Center, the Mayor highlighted that the drafter of the project is hired by the Provincial Council and denied that the technical deficiencies are derived from municipal management.
