Esperanza Vega, head of the human resources department at Palma Town Hall, has submitted her resignation. Although certain officials maintain they have not yet received confirmation, Feliciano Franco, the regional secretary of SPPME-IB, the largest police union in the Balearics, says: "Esperanza Vega's resignation was officially communicated to us on Tuesday."
Highly experienced, Vega first worked at the town hall when Catalina Cirer of the Partido Popular was mayor from 2003 to 2007. She was a political appointee by the current PP administration and is understood to have been under considerable pressure and been contemplating resignation for some time.
She worked closely with councillor Mercedes Celeste, who was relieved of her responsibilities for the local police a few weeks ago. Police sources link Vega's resignation to the failure to deliver a reorganisation plan which unions insist had been promised on the first of January this year. Mayor Jaime Martínez is equally insistent that he made no such promise. An explanation as to why this plan was not delivered five months ago was that HR had raised technical issues as to its application.
Celeste's relationship with the police deteriorated to a point where her dismissal became almost inevitable. Franco adds that there had been talk of Vega's resignation for some days. He is critical of town hall politicians. "Throughout the entire planning process, she has been a tool of the politicians; she shouldn't be solely blamed."
It is further understood that efforts have been made to persuade Vega to reconsider. Her resignation comes a year out from the next election. Finding a replacement for her may not be straightforward. One town hall source says: "It's a very complicated position; it's not very popular."