The budget for Palma town hall was agreed earlier today at the full council session. The basic budget will increase by 5.6% to 411.7 million euros, while the consolidated budget, which adds on amounts for the municipal agencies, will go up by 7.9% to give a grand total of 583.5 million. The budget had been initially approved in November before being open to submissions.
Adrián Garcia, the councillor for finance, said that the budget is "realistic", will increase amounts for social needs and meet a commitment to freeze municipal taxes. The Partido Popular's Pep Ignasi Aguiló reckoned that it marks a change in direction, "which does not bode well"; he was concerned at possible lack of control of spending.
Both the PP and the Ciudadanos brought up the failure to reach agreement on the 30 million euros investment that should be forthcoming under the capital cities law. Josep Lluis Bauzá for the C's believed that this was a result of a lack of understanding between the mayor, José Hila, and President Armengol. (What he means is that the two don't get on with each other.)
Marga Duran, the PP's number one at the town hall, suggested that Armengol had given the town hall the brush off by not agreeing to the transfer of funds that is contained in the government's budget. (There was actually agreement on a third of the amount due to be paid.)
Among specific budget items, there will be 4.6 million euros more for welfare, health and education, while 2.1 million euros are to be invested in areas of the Ponent district - Cala Mayor, El Jonquet, El Terreno, Porto Pi, Santa Catalina and Son Armadans. There will be a further two million for various day-to-day projects, such as accessibility, parks and gardens, in other neighbourhoods.